Team Nigeria Eyes Category Medal as Chess Olympiad Begins

Posted : 15 September 2026

Team Nigeria will enter the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with a clear ambition to challenge for a category medal after assembling a squad that combines experience with youthful confidence.

The Nigerian delegation departed on Monday night aboard Turkish Airlines for the global chess showpiece, which runs from September 15 to 27 and features about 400 national teams competing in the Open and Women’s sections.

The competition will take place at the Silk Road International Tourist Center/EXPO Center in Samarkand.

Nigeria is represented by 10 players, five each in the men’s and women’s sections, with the team hoping to translate its recent performances into a strong showing against some of the world’s leading chess nations.

The men’s team comprises Bomo Kigigha, Ekunke Goodness, Bartholomew Okhipo, Abdulrahman Abdulraheem and Odion Aikhoje, while Deborah Quickpen, Michelle Nwankwo, Sandra Omoruyi, Bridget Michael and Joy Iyefu make up the women’s team.

Ejiro Thukson IV is the Secretary-General of the delegation, with Bunmi Olape and Adeyinka Adewole serving as accompanying officials.

For Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, the tournament comes at an important stage of his career after rising to become Nigeria’s number-one chess player.

The achievement, he said, was the result of years of demanding work, but he is now determined to make the milestone count on the biggest international stage.

“Personally, my expectation is to play the best chess that I possibly can, and hopefully, we can win a category medal,” Abdulrahman said.

The Nigerian number one believes the composition of the team gives the country a realistic opportunity to compete for honours.

“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 brings significant experience to the assignment, having been selected for his eighth Chess Olympiad.

His most memorable appearance came in 2012, when Nigeria secured a category prize, and he is hopeful that the current team can recreate that success.

“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.”

The team’s youthful component is equally ambitious.

At just 15, Ekunke Goodness will make his Olympiad debut on the back of an impressive victory at the World Rapid Amateur Chess Championship in Abuja in August.

Rather than being intimidated by the occasion, Goodness said he intends to remain calm and trust his preparation.

“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.

The teenager has set himself and his teammates an equally ambitious target.

“We’ll perform better than we have ever performed before, and we won’t have any poor performances,” Goodness declared.

Nwankwo, another young member of the delegation, is also relishing the opportunity to compete on the global stage after taking up chess about five or six years ago.

“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, meanwhile, enters the tournament with confidence built on deliberate preparation.

The young player said she had mentally prepared for the possibility of competing at the Olympiad even before receiving confirmation of her selection.

“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 acknowledged the importance of individual responsibility while expressing confidence in the collective strength of the Nigerian team.

“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’s message to Nigerian chess supporters captured the ambition within the delegation.

“Nigeria will bring it back home, by God’s grace. We’re hopeful,” she said.

With the opening ceremony scheduled for September 15 and competitive action beginning the following day, Team Nigeria will now have the opportunity to turn its confidence and preparation into results.

The tournament’s rest day is scheduled for September 22, with the final rounds taking place before the competition concludes on September 27.

For Nigeria, the mission in Samarkand is clear: combine the experience of its established players with the fearlessness of its young talents and challenge for a place among the tournament’s category prize winners.

Team Nigeria Eyes Category Medal as Chess Olympiad Begins

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics