World Record–holding weightlifter Folashade Oluwafemiayo delivered another commanding performance, winning gold in the women’s heavyweight event at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh with a lift of 165kg. Her victory sealed Nigeria’s 11th and final gold medal of the tournament, as the country wrapped up its campaign in eighth place on the overall medal table.

The Olympic champion outclassed Uzbekistan’s Kudratoy Koshpulatova and Jordan’s Asma Issa, underscoring Nigeria’s continued dominance in para-weightlifting on the global stage. Her triumph pushed Nigeria’s final tally to 30 medals, 11 gold, 12 silver, and 7 bronze.

In athletics, Sade Olatoye delivered a strong showing in the women’s shot put, throwing 16.05m to claim silver, narrowly missing out on gold by just four centimetres. She had earlier secured another silver medal in the hammer throw. Turkey’s Emel Dereli clinched gold with 16.09m, while Bahrain’s Jasim Noora placed third with 15.44m.

Nigeria also shone brightly on the track as the mixed 4x400m relay team of Gafari Badmus, Anita Itohan Enaruna, Ezekiel Asuquo, and Patience Okon George stormed to a season’s best of 3:16.27 to take gold ahead of Bahrain and Turkey.

On the mats, the women’s wrestling team added more sparkle to Nigeria’s campaign. Christianah Ogunsanya dominated the 53kg category to secure gold, while Esther Kolawole powered her way to the top of the podium in the 62kg class. Damola Ojo (76kg) and Miesinnei Genesis (50kg) claimed silver medals, reaffirming Nigeria’s depth and strength in women’s wrestling.

The 2025 edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games featured athletes from 57 countries. The closing ceremony on 21 November included the traditional handover of the Games flag to Malaysia, host of the 7th edition. The top seven nations on the final medal table were Turkey, Uzbekistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and Kazakhstan.