Team Nigeria marked a sensational comeback to international Masters athletics with an exceptional outing at the 15th Open African Masters Athletics Championships in Tunis, which concluded on November 25, 2025.
Despite being represented by only nine athletes, Nigeria finished second overall behind hosts Tunisia in a competition featuring 23 African nations and nine non-scoring countries, including Spain, Germany, France, Japan, Barbados, and Russia.
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The team delivered a historic haul of 18 Gold, 5 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals, a remarkable achievement considering Nigeria’s absence from international Masters events since 2019.
Their performances underscored not only skill and resilience but also the depth of talent within the nation’s Masters athletics community.
Nigeria’s dominance was evident across track and field.
In the men’s field events, Christian Aiyegbeni (M45) produced one of the championship’s standout all-round displays. He swept gold in the discus, hammer, shot put, and pole vault, adding a silver medal in the javelin to cap a five-medal performance.
In the women’s category, Dr. Safiya Yahaya-Kongoila (W45) showcased extraordinary versatility with gold in the discus and hammer, silver in the 200m and triple jump, and bronze in the long jump.
Her contributions were pivotal to Nigeria’s strong multi-event presence.
Nigeria also impressed on the track.
Irene Anetor (W50) claimed a flawless treble, winning the 100m, 200m, and 800m. Her male counterpart, Adeyoju Adebusuyi (M45), secured gold in the 400m and 800m, along with silver in the 200m.
Folake Okache (W45) earned gold in the 100m and 80m hurdles, while Ubong Usoro (M50) dominated the sprints with double gold in the 100m and 200m.
In addition, Mariam Adedun (W45) clinched gold in the 200m and bronze in the shot put, Michael Ofili (M45) won gold in the javelin, and Dele Ige (M45) took silver in the triple jump.
One of Nigeria’s most emotional moments came in the women’s 4x100m relay, where Adedun, Anetor, Yahaya-Kongoila, and Okache delivered a seamless performance to secure gold for the country.
Reacting to the team’s success, Dr. Safiya Yahaya-Kongoila, Secretary-General of the Nigeria Athletics Masters and Team Manager in Tunis, described the achievement as a defining moment for Masters athletics in Nigeria.
She expressed gratitude to the team, the Nigeria Athletics Masters leadership, and everyone who supported the trip, noting that the team’s resilience and unity made the historic performance possible.
She further appealed for increased government and corporate support, emphasizing that Masters Athletics in Nigeria currently receives no government funding.
With the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, Korea on the horizon, she called for investment to sustain Nigeria’s growing presence and potential in international age-group athletics.
Team Nigeria’s remarkable showing in Tunis stands as a powerful reminder that excellence transcends age and that the nation’s athletes continue to shine brightly on the continental stage.
