4th African Youth Games: Nigeria sustains medal rush, eyes bright sporting future
pannigeriannews
2 min read
Nigeria continued its impressive run at the ongoing 4th African Youth Games (AYG) on Sunday, recording another day of strong medal performances across several sports.
Team Nigeria clinched the gold medal in Beach Volleyball after defeating Egypt 2–0, with convincing set scores of 21–15 and 21–17, underscoring the team’s technical strength and preparation.
The country also posted a commendable outing in badminton, finishing the competition with one gold medal in the mixed doubles event, two silver medals and three bronze medals.
In golf, Josephine Clement Benjamin added to Nigeria’s medal tally by winning the bronze medal at the conclusion of the event on Sunday.
Nigeria’s table tennis team also progressed to the semi-finals of the mixed team event after overcoming Tunisia in a closely contested encounter. The team is now set to face Algeria in the semi-final, keeping hopes of another podium finish alive.
Reacting to the performances, Kola Daniel, Special Assistant to the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olapade, said the results reflected the positive impact of renewed focus on youth and grassroots sports development in the country.
According to him, the interventions and strategic direction of the NSC leadership have continued to produce tangible outcomes, particularly through deliberate investment in young talents.
He noted that Nigeria’s participation in key youth-focused competitions in 2025, including the African School Games, African Youth Chess Championship, African Youth Swimming Championship, and the CAA Africa U18/U20 Athletics Championship hosted by Nigeria, as well as the exposure of young athletes at the National Sports Festival through the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative, has helped create a sustainable talent pipeline.
He added that the performances at the African Youth Games were indicators of a promising future for Nigerian sports, as the country prepares for major global events such as the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2028 Olympic Games.
The medal successes at the ongoing AYG, he said, show that Nigeria’s long-term sports development planning is already yielding positive results.
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