“Nigeria Will Bring It Back Home” – Quickpen, Abdulrahman Lead Team Nigeria’s Chess Olympiad Charge
Team Nigeria has departed for Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with confidence and determination as the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad gets underway.
The Nigerian delegation departed on Monday night aboard Turkish Airlines and is scheduled for a one-hour, 30-minute stopover in Istanbul before continuing to Samarkand for the prestigious global chess championship.
The Olympiad runs from September 15 to 27 and will feature a record 400 national teams competing in the Open and Women’s sections at the Silk Road International Tourist Center/EXPO Center.
Nigeria will field a 10-player contingent comprising five men and five women, combining experienced Olympians with promising young talents determined to make their mark on the world stage.
Team Nigeria at a glance
Men
- Bomo Kigigha
- Ekunke Goodness
- Bartholomew Okhipo
- Abdulrahman Abdulraheem
- Odion Aikhoje
Women
- Deborah Quickpen
- Michelle Nwankwo
- Sandra Omoruyi
- Bridget Michael
- Joy Iyefu
Ejiro Thukson IV serves as Secretary-General of the delegation, while Bunmi Olape and Adeyinka Adewole accompany the team as officials.
Nigeria’s number-one player, Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, described the Olympiad as another significant milestone in his career after rising to the top of the country’s chess rankings.
The achievement, he noted, was the result of a long and challenging journey, but one that has ultimately been rewarding.
With Nigeria set to face some of the strongest chess-playing nations in the world, Abdulrahman is targeting a medal.
“Personally, my expectation is to play the best chess that I possibly can, and hopefully, we can win a category medal,” he said.
The Nigerian star believes the team has the right balance of experience and youth to produce a strong campaign.
“I think Team Nigeria is quite strong. We have some experienced veterans as well as some very young players, so I believe we can do very well at the Olympiad,” he added.
Kigigha eyes another category prize
Experience will be crucial for Nigeria, with Bomo Kigigha preparing for his eighth appearance at the Chess Olympiad.
His most memorable outing came in 2012 when Nigeria secured a category prize, and the veteran is hopeful the current squad can replicate that achievement in Samarkand.
“This will be my eighth Olympiad. My best experience was when we won the category prize back in 2012,” Kigigha said.
“This year, we have a very good team, and we are looking forward to clinching the category prize again.”
Goodness ready for Olympiad debut
Nigeria will also rely on the energy and confidence of its emerging stars, including 15-year-old Ekunke Goodness, who is set to make his Olympiad debut.
Goodness heads to Uzbekistan on the back of an impressive triumph at the World Rapid Amateur Chess Championship in Abuja in August.
Despite making his first appearance at the world’s biggest team chess competition, the teenager insists he will not be overwhelmed by the occasion.
“I don’t think I’ll feel any pressure, actually. I’ll just stay relaxed and free, but I’ll also perform very well,” he said.
Goodness has also set a clear target for himself and his teammates.
“We’ll perform better than we have ever performed before, and we won’t have any poor performances,” he declared.
Nwankwo relishes Nigeria opportunity
Another promising youngster, Chiamaka Michelle Nwankwo, is equally excited about representing Nigeria at the Olympiad.
Having played chess for about five or six years, Nwankwo understands that the excitement of representing the country must be matched by discipline and concentration over the board.
“I feel really excited. It’s amazing to be able to represent your country at the Olympiad,” she said.
“But you also have to stay strong and focused on the games so that you can perform well.”
Quickpen promises determined campaign
Deborah Quickpen, meanwhile, believes her mental preparation has already positioned her to cope with the pressure of competing on the international stage.
The experienced teenager revealed that she had started preparing mentally for an Olympiad appearance even before her selection was confirmed.
“I’m confident that I’ll be able to handle the pressure because I was already preparing for the Olympiad before I even knew I would be selected,” Quickpen said.
She expressed confidence in her own ability and that of her teammates to deliver a strong performance.
“I believe I’ll do well, by God’s grace. It’s not by my power, but I’m also going to do my best and play my part. I also believe my teammates will do their part as well.”
Quickpen then delivered an emphatic message to Nigerian chess supporters ahead of the competition.
“Nigeria will bring it back home, by God’s grace. We’re hopeful,” she said.
With the opening ceremony scheduled for September 15 and competition beginning on September 16, Team Nigeria is now ready for the ultimate test of its preparation.
The tournament’s rest day is scheduled for September 22, while the competition concludes on September 27.
For Nigeria, the mission in Samarkand is clear: combine the experience of its established players with the fearless ambition of its young stars and challenge for honours against the world’s chess elite.
