Islamic Solidarity Games: Nigeria Wins First Medal

Team Nigeria finally made it to the medals’ table at the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Nathaniel Glory Onome won the country’s first medal having finished second in the Women’s 400m Hurdles event.

She posted a time of 55.90secs way behind the gold medalist, Adekoya Oluwakemi, who though is Nigerian-born but now competes for Bahrain.

Adekoya won gold with a time of 54.68secs while her compatriot, Jamal Aminat, also of Nigerian descent but now competes for Bahrain, won bronze with a time of 56.90secs which is her season’s best time.

With the solitary silver medal presently in the kitty, Nigeria is placed 26th on the medal standings.

Algeria is the leading African country on the medals’ table with a cumulative 30 medals of which six are gold and 11 are silver medals.

Egypt is second in the Africa rankings while Morocco, Cameroon, Tunisia, Senegal and Gambia are all ahead of Nigeria with more medals.

The 4th Islamic Solidarity Games is a multinational, multi-sport event taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan from May 12 to 22.

Previously the event has been held in Saudi Arabia in 2005 and Indonesia in 2013.

The second event, originally scheduled to take place in October 2009 in Iran, was later re-scheduled but then cancelled.

The Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) is responsible for the direction and control of the Islamic Solidarity Games.

A total of 56 countries are competing in 21 sports disciplines in Baku and Nigeria is one of the debutants.

Meanwhile, some Nigerian athletes are in Baku competing for their adopted countries and many suggest the numbers could have been higher if not for the ban placed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on athletes switching allegiance to other countries.