Riyadh 2025: Nigeria To Compete In Seven Sports as Countdown Begins

Riyadh 2025: Nigeria To Compete In Seven Sports as Countdown Begins

By Admin 

 A 46-member Nigerian contingent, comprising 35 athletes and 11 officials, is set to represent the country at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 7 to 21, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Nigeria will join 26 other African nations in competing for medals across 21 sports disciplines at nine venues in what promises to be one of the most vibrant editions of the Games.

Speaking ahead of the team’s departure, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, described Nigeria’s participation as part of a broader strategy to prepare for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

 “The Islamic Solidarity Games represent a great opportunity for Nigeria to showcase our talent on the global stage,” Olopade said. “This is a stepping stone toward Los Angeles 2028, and our athletes are ready to shine.”

Nigeria will feature in seven sports, namely Athletics, Boxing, Para Athletics, Para Powerlifting, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, and Wrestling.

Beyond the quest for medals, the NSC says the Games will also serve as a logistics and organizational test run ahead of the 2026 National Sports Festival in Enugu State.

Historically, Nigeria has won a total of 11 medals at the Islamic Solidarity Games — including 3 gold, 6 silver, and 2 bronze — but expectations are high for an improved performance this year.

Elsewhere, other African nations have also announced their lineups for the event. Algeria will field the continent’s largest contingent with 117 athletes, followed by Egypt with 101, while Mali will be represented by just two competitors out of the 844 African athletes confirmed for Riyadh.

Nigeria’s West African neighbours Benin Republic, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Republic will also feature, with Cameroon sending a 51-member delegation, the largest among them.

Meanwhile, Morocco, a consistent powerhouse at the Games, has dispatched 82 athletes determined to build on its remarkable performance at the 2022 edition in Konya, Türkiye, where it claimed 15 gold, 13 silver, and 34 bronze medals.

At a spirited send-forth on October 26, 2025, the Moroccan Olympic Committee charged its athletes to “chase excellence, embody unity, and bring home the glory.”

In total, the 2025 Games will feature 3,500 athletes from 57 nations, competing across 21 sports and three para disciplines, promising two weeks of intense competition and celebration of unity through sport.