‘We proved it is possible in Nigeria’ — Oyeleke celebrates successful Zen Archery International Tournament

The founder of Zen Archery Club, Emmanuel Oyeleke, has described the successful staging of the 2026 Zen Archery Lagos International Open Tournament as proof that Nigeria can host world-class archery competitions, following the conclusion of the four-day event in Lagos.

The tournament, held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, attracted athletes from Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Zimbabwe and Chad, making it the biggest edition of the competition since its inception.

Now in its third year, the Lagos International Open has grown from a modest international event into one of West Africa’s emerging archery competitions, drawing elite competitors and strengthening the sport’s profile in Nigeria.

Reflecting on the competition, Mr Oyeleke said the success of the event was deeply fulfilling.

“I think the question that you asked, am I fulfilled as the founder of Zen Archery, I think I am more than fulfilled,” he said.

“We’ve demonstrated to the world that this is possible, this is possible especially in Nigeria, to organise a world standard event in Lagos, Nigeria, with multiple participating teams from different countries, and for it to be a great and resounding success.”

He added: “The atmosphere has been really charged, it’s been really good, the success has been resounding, all the athletes are really happy. Organisers are really happy, the judges are satisfied with the competition and everything has gone smoothly so far so it’s been a huge success and I’m more than fulfilled with the current state of things.”

Lagos’ growing sporting destination

The tournament was organised by Zen Archery Club in partnership with the Lagos State Sports Commission.

Director-General of the commission, Lekan Fatodu, had earlier described the competition as evidence of how alternative sports can contribute to youth development and sports tourism in Lagos.

“The power of sports like archery in providing physical stability, mental growth, focus and discipline for young people is remarkable,” Mr Fatodu noted.

According to him, events such as the Zen Archery Lagos International Open create opportunities for local businesses while strengthening Lagos’ reputation as a sporting destination.

Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, Aderonke Aderinoye, also described the tournament as a success.

“We had a very successful session over the last three to four days with all our athletes competing at the topmost level. And we are happy that we’ve come to a successful end. It was a good one and we hope to have a bigger one same time next year,” she said.

She added that the tournament was designed to expose local athletes to stronger opposition.

“So that’s the essence of this tournament, to bring competition from athletes across Africa,” she said.

Côte d’Ivoire dominates

On the range, Côte d’Ivoire emerged as the strongest foreign team, particularly in the recurve events.

Yao Kouassi Chadrac won the 50m Recurve Men title, while Agnes Lewi Jean Eben secured gold in the 70m Recurve Men category.

Kossia Prisca dominated the women’s recurve events, winning both the 50m and 70m titles.

The Ivorians also claimed gold medals in the 50m Recurve Men Team, 70m Recurve Men Team and 70m Recurve Mixed Team categories.

Nigerian clubs shine

Nigerian archers also produced strong performances.

Zen Archery’s Adebayo Lateef Mubarak won gold in the 50m Compound Men event, while Firefly Shooters’ Evans Hareke claimed the women’s title.

Arch Archery Club dominated the 50m Barebow Men category, with Abdulbasit Sanni winning gold and Seun Ogunlana taking silver.

Faith Adekogbe of Zen Archery secured gold in the 50m Barebow Women category.

Zen Archery also won several team medals, including gold in the 30m Barebow Men Team and the Compound Mixed Team event.

Federation commends organisers

President of the Nigeria Archery Federation, Mohammed Abdullahi, praised the organisers for raising the standard of domestic competitions.

“Well, what I’d like to say is congratulations to them for this milestone effort to promote Archery in Nigeria,” he said.

“The essence is not for all state chapters to depend on the Federation to organize championships of this nature.”

He said Zen Archery had established a model for other clubs and associations.

“They have also set the pace for other clubs to emulate and that is what we want. It’s about competition, it’s about improving interpersonal relationship, bringing together our youths beyond the shores of Nigeria, like we have here today, five countries competing and then of course a very healthy competition for that matter.”

Preparing for continental competition

Several Nigerian athletes used the tournament as preparation for the forthcoming African Championships in Algeria.

Compound champion Mubarak Adebayo said the event showed clear progress among Nigerian archers.

“If you compare our scores, you see that everyone has really, really improved,” he said.

READ ALSO: ‘We came to dream big’: Bubista salutes Cape Verde’s World Cup rise

Women’s compound winner Evans Hareke described the tournament as an important test ahead of national assignments.

“This was sort of like a prerequisite just to test if we’re sort of ready. I think we’re pretty much ready,” the athlete said.

Bigger ambitions

Mr Oyeleke said the organisers intend to further expand the tournament.

“Five countries this year, we’re hoping that this can be bigger and better next year,” he said.

“We’ve had five countries. I think we see a growth, five-fold growth.”

The Zen Archery founder said the ambition is to attract between 10 and 20 countries in future editions, further positioning Lagos as a continental hub for the sport.

For many participants and officials, the 2026 edition demonstrated that archery is gradually establishing a firm footing in Nigeria, supported by growing club structures, international participation and increasing institutional backing.