Nigeria’s Elizabeth Anyanacho secured a bronze medal in the women’s under-70kg taekwondo event at the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, as Team Nigeria continued its push for more podium finishes in the competition’s final week.
Anyanacho, one of Nigeria’s top medal hopefuls entering the Games, began her campaign impressively at the Malaz Combat Hall.
She defeated Iainne Taju 2–0 in the quarterfinals, showcasing the form that earned her a historic bronze medal at the recent World Championship in China — a performance that ended Nigeria’s 20-year wait for a medal in the -67kg category.
Her quest for a place in the final, however, ended in the semifinals after a tightly contested 2–1 loss to Iran’s Yalda Valinejad on Court 1.
Despite the setback, the African number one remained composed heading into the bronze-medal contest.
She bounced back convincingly, defeating Sara Jallab 2–0 to claim Nigeria’s fourth bronze medal of the Games.
Uzbekistan’s Ozoda Sobirjonova clinched the gold medal after edging Valinejad 2–1 in the final, while Turkey’s Sila Gençer secured the second bronze with a 2–0 victory over Dunya Saber.
The result adds to Nigeria’s growing medal tally in Riyadh. Team Nigeria currently sits seventh on the medals table with 15 medals — six gold, five silver and four bronze — thanks largely to strong performances in weightlifting.
Meanwhile, Athletics is set to begin on Monday and para sports due to follow.
Nigerian officials remain optimistic about a significant rise in the country’s medal count.
Athletics alone offers 43 gold medals, and Nigeria’s mix of home-based and foreign-trained athletes is expected to make a strong impact at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City.
The wrestling team also begins its campaign on Tuesday at Boulevard Riyadh City, while para powerlifting and para athletics will commence later in the week.
Nigeria’s powerlifters go into the competition buoyed by their impressive second-place finish at the recent World Championship in Egypt.