Weightlifting World Record holder Folashade Oluwafemiayo won gold in the women’s heavyweight at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, lifting 165kg, as Nigeria finished eighth on the medal table, www.aclsports.com reports.
The Olympic champion produced a stellar performance, comfortably outlifting Uzbekistan’s Kudratoy Koshpulatova and Jordan’s Asma Issa to secure Nigeria’s 11th and final gold of the tournament. This pushed the nation to a total of 30 medals, including 11 gold, 12 silver, and 7 bronze.
Sade Olatoye produced a solid final throw in the women’s shot put, reaching 16.05m to claim silver, missing out on gold by just four centimetres. She had earlier secured silver in the hammer throw. Turkey’s Emel Dereli took the shot put title with 16.09m, while Bahrain’s Jasim Noora completed the podium with a throw of 15.44m.
Nigeria’s mixed 4x400m relay team also delighted fans, as Gafari Badmus, Anita Itohan Enaruna, Ezekiel Asuquo, and Patience Okon George ran a season’s best of 3:16.27, outpacing Bahrain and Turkey to claim gold.
The women’s wrestling team added to Nigeria’s medal haul, with Christianah Ogunsanya winning gold in the 53kg category and Esther Kolawole taking gold in the 62kg class. Silver medals went to Damola Ojo in the 76kg division and Miesinnei Genesis in the 50kg category, highlighting the nation’s strength across multiple weight classes.
Athletes from 57 countries competed at the Games, and the Closing Ceremony on 21 November included the handover of the Games flag to Malaysia, the host of the 7th edition. The top seven nations on the medal table were Turkey, Uzbekistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and Kazakhstan.
