By Oscar Chukwugekwu
One of Nigeria’s most experienced archers, Damilola Sholademi, reflected on the team’s achievement, saying the medal haul at the 15th African Archery Championships in Oran, Algeria represented a major milestone for Nigerian archery.
Sholademi, who was part of the men’s compound team alongside Aliyu Abubakar and Seun Emmanuel Oyeleke, competed with borrowed equipment after his bow went missing during transit, and played a key role as Nigeria won one gold, five silver and one bronze medal—the country’s best-ever performance at the continental championships.
Reflecting on the team’s achievement, an elated Sholademi said the medal haul represented a major milestone for Nigerian archery. “Honestly, we did well. This is our largest medal count. The best we’ve ever had was just three in Tunisia.”
The Nigeria Archery Federation (NAFED) Technical Director attributed the success to years of preparation, resilience and collaboration, highlighting the role of the ARCH Archery Club and Shooters’ Archery Club in developing military personnel who now compete for the Defence Archery team. “We had trained them years before, and we have an excellent relationship with them.”
Based in the United States, Sholademi is currently pursuing a Level 3 national coaching certification while volunteering his time to teach archery.