Nigeria’s medal haul at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, received another boost as Ogochukwu Ogili secured silver in the women’s shot put, while quarter-miler Patience Okon-George booked her place in the women’s 400m final.
Ogili threw a season-best 7.35m to take second place, finishing just behind Bahrain’s Rooba Alomari, who won gold with a mark of 7.39m achieved in the penultimate round.
Saudi Arabia’s Nadha Alhumayolani claimed bronze with 6.13m, making Ogili’s performance Nigeria’s second athletics medal at the Games.
Earlier, Nigeria got on the medal table through Obiageri Amaechi in the women’s discus event on Monday. Amaechi recorded a throw of 56.99m to clinch silver, narrowly missing out on gold to Cameroonian athlete Nora Atim Monie, who won with 57.04m.
Turkey’s Ozlem Becerek earned bronze with 55.56m, while Nigerian national record holder Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons finished just outside the podium with 55.08m.
Amaechi’s podium finish served as a morale boost after her early exit in the women’s discus at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where she failed to reach the final.
Meanwhile, three-time national champion Okon-George advanced to the women’s 400m final by placing second in her semifinal with a time of 52.92 seconds.
She will face opposition from Morocco, Turkey, Niger, Uganda, Bahrain, and Guyana when she lines up at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Stadium on Wednesday.
In the men’s field events, Nigeria’s Samuel Kure Adams is also expected to challenge for a medal in the javelin final.
With a personal best of 77.45m and a season’s best of 76.79m, hopes are high for a strong performance.
Nigeria will also chase more podium finishes in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay finals scheduled for Wednesday.
Despite a few notable absences—such as African shot put record holder Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and U.S.-based Divine Oladipo,Team Nigeria continues to showcase depth across sprints, relays, and field events.
The men’s squad features sprinters Chidera Ezeakor, Caleb John, and James Emmanuel in the short distances, while David Akhalu, Gafari Badmus, and Ezekiel Asuquo compete in the longer sprints. Javelin throwers Samuel Kure and Victoria Kparika represent the country in the field.
On the women’s side, sprinters Chioma Nweke and Anita Enaruna compete in the 100m and 200m, supported by Maria Omokwe and Iyanuoluwa Bada in the sprints and relay teams.
As the Games continue through November 21 at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City Stadium, Team Nigeria has so far amassed 17 medalssix gold, seven silver, and four bronze,reflecting a strong all-round performance across multiple events.
