Nigeria’s campaign at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, began in spectacular fashion as weightlifting sensation Rafiatu Lawal delivered a historic hat-trick of gold medals in the women’s 58kg category on Sunday the nation’s first medals of the tournament.
Lawal was in a class of her own, lifting 98kg in the snatch and 122kg in the clean & jerk for a combined total of 220kg, sealing her dominance and etching her name into Nigeria’s sporting history.
The 28-year-old outclassed Niogora Abdullaeva of Uzbekistan, who settled for silver, while Egypt’s Noura Essam claimed bronze.
This triumph adds to what has been an incredible year for Lawal. Just last month, she made history at the 2025 IWF World Championships in Forde, Norway, where she became the first Nigerian to win three silver medals at a global weightlifting event.
Her track record speaks volumes: gold at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the 2023 African Games in Accra, along with a fifth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Adeshina Storms into Boxing Final
Nigeria’s impressive form continued in the boxing ring, where Zainab Adeshina booked her place in the women’s 51kg final after a thrilling 4–1 victory over Algeria’s Fatiha Mansouri at The Promenade Art Tower venue.
Representing the red corner, the 21-year-old Nigerian overcame a shaky start to dominate the decisive third round, securing her spot in Monday’s gold medal bout against Tunisia’s Rabia Topuz.
According to the judges’ scorecards, officials from Egypt, Iraq, Slovakia, and Australia awarded the fight to Adeshina, while the Puerto Rican judge sided with Mansouri.
Mansouri’s repeated infringements earned her two warnings and point deductions, giving Adeshina the edge. Australian judge Dylan Perceval scored all three rounds 10–9 in favor of the Nigerian.
Having already won her quarter-final bout on Thursday, Adeshina now stands one win away from clinching Nigeria’s second gold medal in boxing at the Islamic Games.
Team Nigeria at Riyadh 2025
Nigeria’s 46-member contingent (35 athletes and 11 officials) is competing in seven sports at the ongoing Games:
- Athletics
- Para-athletics
- Para powerlifting
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
- Boxing
- Taekwondo
The 6th edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games runs from November 7 to 21, featuring over 3,000 athletes from 57 nations competing across 23 sports in world-class venues across Riyadh.
The Games continue to celebrate unity, excellence, and shared spirit among Muslim nations, and Nigeria’s early performances have already made the country one to watch.
