Anyanacho wins bronze at Islamic Game News

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Anyanacho wins bronze at Islamic Game

By Daily Sports Nigeria on November 17, 2025

Nigeria’s Elizabeth Anyanacho won a bronze medal in the women’s under 70 kg taekwondo event at the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh as Team Nigeria intensified its push for more podium finishes in the final week of competition.

Anyanacho, who entered the tournament as one of Nigeria’s brightest medal prospects, opened her campaign with a commanding quarterfinal win over Iainne Taju at the Malaz Combat Hall, securing a 2–0 victory to advance to the last four.

The Africa number one, who recently ended a 20-year medal drought for Nigeria in the -67kg by winning bronze at the World Championship in China, continued her strong form as she targeted a place in the final.

Her gold medal ambitions were halted in the semifinals where she fell 2–1 to Iran’s Yalda Valinejad after a closely contested bout on Court 1.

The narrow defeat pushed her into the bronze medal bracket, where she produced a composed performance to defeat Sara Jallab 2–0 and grab Nigeria’s fourth bronze of the Games.

Uzbekistan’s Ozoda Sobirjonova won the gold medal after beating Valinejad 2–1 in the final, while Turkey’s Sila Gençer won the other bronze with a 2–0 victory over Dunya Saber.

The result adds to Nigeria’s growing medal haul as the country looks to build on its early success in Riyadh.

Team Nigeria is now in seventh place on the medals table with 15 medals comprising six gold, five silver and four bronze, boosted largely by weightlifting.

With track and field beginning on Monday and para sports set to follow, officials expect Nigeria’s medal count to rise.

Athletics offers 43 gold medals, and Nigeria’s contingent of home and foreign-based athletes is tipped to make a strong impression at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City.

The wrestling team will begin its campaign on Tuesday at the Boulevard Riyadh City while para powerlifting and para athletics are also scheduled to start this week, with Nigeria’s powerlifters entering the event fresh from a strong second-place finish at the World Championship in Egypt.

Source Punch Ng

Posted November 17, 2025