Team Nigeria extended its dominance at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by securing a gold medal in wrestling — pushing the country’s total to 20 medals.
Nigeria’s Christianah Ogunsanya stole the spotlight with a commanding performance in the Women’s Freestyle 53 kg, where she defeated Uzbekistan’s Shokhida Akhmedova 11–1 in the final to take gold.
Meanwhile, Mercy Genesis added a silver in the Women’s Freestyle 50kg after a competitive bout that ended 5–1 in favour of Uzbekistan’s Aktenge Keunjaeva.
Expressing her joy after the victory, Ogunsanya said:
“I feel fulfilled and blessed. I am thankful for the hard work and to my coach, as well as my teammates. Everything worked well for me … I believe in his training, and he believes in us.”
According to Nigeria’s wrestling coach, Purity Aku, the team had hoped for two golds on the day, but still felt content with the outcome.
“My aim was to secure two golds today … It is unfortunate that we only won one gold, but we must thank God for our success,” she remarked.
She added that their focus for the next day would be refining finishing techniques, stressing that putting undue pressure on athletes often leads to mistakes.
Aku was optimistic about the team’s future, noting:
“By the grace of God, Kolawole is currently ranked fifth in the world … Damilola is also a promising young athlete … I am optimistic that tomorrow will be a successful day for her and the team.”
