Nigeria have officially concluded their campaign at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, with three gold medals after boxer Mayowa Shukurat suffered a quarterfinal defeat to Algeria’s Bouthaina Bensalah in the women’s 48kg category.
Shukurat, Nigeria’s sole representative in boxing at the Games, lost 5-0 on points in Wednesday’s encounter, bringing an end to her participation and marking the final competitive appearance by a Nigerian athlete at the competition.
The Nigerian put up a determined performance, particularly in the third round, but her late rally was insufficient to overturn the advantage established by Bensalah, who secured a unanimous points victory to advance to the semifinals.
The contest was also a rematch between two familiar opponents, as Shukurat had previously defeated Bensalah to win the African championship title in the women’s 48kg category in Angola.
However, the Algerian secured revenge on the Youth Olympic stage, ending the Nigerian’s hopes of progressing to the medal rounds.
Despite the disappointment, Shukurat remains a promising prospect for Nigerian boxing, having established herself as an African champion. Her experience in Dakar, particularly against a familiar continental rival, offers valuable lessons as she continues her development on the international stage.
Three Gold Medals Headline Nigeria’s Campaign
While Shukurat’s exit brought Nigeria’s participation to a close, the country’s biggest success in Dakar came from athletics, where three young sprinters delivered gold-medal performances to give Team Nigeria its most successful Youth Olympic campaign in terms of gold medals.
Gift Bright, Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo and Praise Ugoh were responsible for Nigeria’s three gold medals, all won in track and field events.
Bright opened Nigeria’s gold-medal account with victory in the men’s 100m, clocking a Games-record 10.28 seconds to become the first Nigerian athlete to win the men’s 100m title at the Youth Olympic Games.
The 15-year-old finished ahead of China’s Hangyu Zhang, who recorded 10.57 seconds, while Poland’s Szymon Dolega took bronze in 10.61 seconds.
Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo completed Nigeria’s historic sprint double by winning the women’s 100m in 11.16 seconds.
Her victory made her the third Nigerian woman to win the Youth Olympic women’s 100m title, following Josephine Omaka at Singapore 2010 and Rosemary Chukwuma at Buenos Aires 2018.
Nigeria’s third gold came through Praise Ugoh, who delivered a personal-best performance of 52.76 seconds to win the women’s 400m final on Monday, November 9.
Ugoh finished ahead of Venezuela’s Osmary Pacheco, who clocked 52.85 seconds, while Aisha Muhammed secured bronze in 53.06 seconds.
The victory also made Ugoh the first Nigerian athlete to win the women’s 400m title at the Youth Olympic Games.
Nkemakolam Records DNS in Javelin Final
Nigeria’s athletics campaign also ended on a disappointing note in the men’s javelin throw, as Godswill Nkemakolam recorded a Did Not Start (DNS) in the final after failing to take his place in the competition.
The setback came a day before Shukurat’s final appearance, leaving the boxer as Nigeria’s last athlete in action at the Games.
Dakar 2026, which began on October 31 and is the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games to be staged on African soil, has provided a significant platform for Nigeria’s emerging sporting talents.
Team Nigeria’s three gold medals, secured entirely in athletics, represent a notable achievement, with Bright, Nwankwo and Ugoh delivering landmark performances for the country.
With Shukurat’s quarterfinal defeat, Nigeria have now drawn the curtains on their participation in Dakar, returning home with three gold medals and valuable international experience for the next generation of Nigerian athletes.
