Team Nigeria has widened its medal lead at the ongoing West Africa Para Games in Abeokuta, after delivering an outstanding performance in the Para Badminton event held at the Alake Sports Centre, Ijeja. The athletes secured a total of 15 medals made up of five gold, seven silver, and three bronze, further solidifying Nigeria’s dominance at the regional tournament.
Nigeria clinched gold medals across several categories, including the Stand Upper 5 (SU5) men, Standing Lower 4 (SL4) men, Wheelchair 1 men and women, as well as the SU5–SL3 XD and SL4–SL3 XD mixed doubles. The strong performance places Team Nigeria well ahead of other participating nations. Benin Republic trails with two gold and five silver, while Ghana follows with one gold and three bronze medals.
Speaking to journalists, Head Coach of Nigeria’s Para Badminton team, Mr. Olasunkanmi Adewale, praised his athletes for their resilience, skill and continued improvement.
“The para badminton team is doing well in Nigeria presently. Nigeria’s men’s wheelchair team won gold, and they also secured both gold and silver medals in the retreats,” he said.
Adewale attributed the athletes’ impressive showing to their preparation and past achievements, noting that Nigeria previously dominated the All-African Para Badminton Championship, where they amassed 10 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze medals — a feat that boosted their confidence heading into the West Africa Games.
While celebrations continued in the badminton arena, Nigeria’s amputee football team also recorded major progress, advancing to the final of the football event after edging out Cameroon 1–0 in their second match at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena, Kuto. The team had earlier produced a spectacular 11–0 victory over Benin Republic in their opening game.
The lone goal against Cameroon was scored by Michael Joel, sealing Nigeria’s place at the top of the table and setting the stage for a highly anticipated final.
Expressing confidence in his team, Head Coach of the Nigerian Amputee Football team, Mr. Gbenga Dosunmu, said they were determined to win the gold medal but appealed for stronger government intervention.
“There are no underdogs in this sport. We want to pick the gold for the government to intervene. Without them, we are going nowhere. We need support from the government and stakeholders,” he said.
In other football results, Liberia’s amputee team defeated Benin Republic 7–0, moving to second place with four points after previously playing a goalless draw against Cameroon.
With strong performances across multiple events, Nigeria continues to lead the medal table as the West Africa Para Games progresses, raising hopes for an even bigger medal haul by the end of the competition.