Nigeria’s weightlifter, Rafiatu Lawal, has opened the country’s medal count at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with three gold medals in the women’s 58kg category.
New Telegraph reports that Lawal lifted 98kg to top the snatch before lifting another 122kg in clean & jerk, totalling 220kg for the gold medal.
She finished ahead of Niogora Abdullaeva of Uzbekistan, who took silver, and Noura Essam of Egypt, who claimed bronze.
The 28-year-old’s performance further highlights her consistency in weightlifting, having recently become the first athlete from the country to win three silver medals at the World Championships.
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She made history at the 2025 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Forde, Norway, last month, clinching three silver medals in the women’s 58kg category.
Previously, she has won gold medals at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the 2023 African Games in Accra. She also finished fifth at last year’s Paris Olympic Games.
The sixth Islamic Solidarity Games will be held from November 7–21, bringing together over 3,000 athletes from 57 nations.
The Games celebrate unity, diversity, and the spirit of competition across the Islamic world, with athletes competing in 23 sports at world-class venues across Riyadh.
Team Nigeria is featuring a 46-member contingent, comprising 35 athletes and 11 officials, who will compete in seven sports, including athletics, para-athletics, para powerlifting, weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, and taekwondo.
