According to Sholademi, his competition equipment disappeared during transit and could not be traced by airport authorities until after the championships. Despite travelling across three cities and enduring a 13-hour road journey, he still competed and helped Nigeria win silver before later being asked to return to collect the recovered equipment.
Rather than dwell on the setback, he said he remained focused on the team’s objective. “I didn’t let it get to me, despite the physical and emotional trauma. I had to keep my gaze on what was at stake. And as the Team Manager, I couldn’t afford to show that my resolve was broken; I had to show strength and courage.”
Forced to compete with borrowed equipment, Sholademi described the experience as one of the toughest of his career. “Borrowing a compound bow that you’re unfamiliar with a few minutes before shooting is like jumping out of an aeroplane without a parachute. While I didn’t break my personal record, my silver medal reminded me that it’s not the bow that makes the archer; rather, it’s having the heart of an archer.”
Nigeria was represented by an 18-athlete delegation that included Aliyu Abubakar, president of Shooters’ Archery Club and a national team coach; Kachollom Enyenihi of ARCH Archery Club, who competed in the women’s compound event and serves as NAFED’s Director of Women Development; and Emmanuel Oyeleke, founder of Zen Archery Club, the federation’s Director of Marketing and a silver medallist in the men’s compound team event.
The championships, held from 21 to 26 July, attracted 138 archers from 18 countries under the auspices of World Archery Africa