By Debbiemuse
The University of Ibadan (UI) finished fourth, just outside the top 3, at the 15th edition of the West African University Games (WAUG) 2026, securing 42 medals, including 17 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze, as its students recorded notable performances across several sporting disciplines.
Hosted by Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, the competition concluded on October 11, with UI’s medal-winning performances spanning judo, taekwondo, Scrabble, squash, chess, athletics and swimming
The university’s achievements featured individual and team victories, with students from different departments contributing to its medal haul. The results included gold medals in combat sports, doubles and team competitions, alongside individual chess titles and podium finishes in other events.
In judo, Bello Olajide David of the Department of Computer Science won gold in the men’s under-81kg category. At the same time, Olugbemiga Kudirat Oluwakemi of the Department of Classics claimed gold in the women’s under-57kg event.
Taekwondo also yielded gold medals for the university. Raji Naheemah Moyosore of the Department of Communication and Language Arts won the women’s individual under-46kg category, while Divine Comfort Akele of the Department of Economics secured gold in the women’s individual under-53kg category.
The university also recorded silver-medal finishes in the discipline. Siyanbade Adedamola Olalekan of the Department of Human Kinetics won silver in the men’s under-87kg category, while Matthew Delight, a 200-level student in the Department of Psychology, secured silver in the women’s under-73kg event.
Scrabble was another source of success for the university, with its representatives winning medals in doubles and team competitions. In the mixed doubles event, Kingsley Enyi of the Department of Psychology and Adekanbi Rodia Omotade of the Faculty of Law won gold.
Benjamin Onuh of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Peter Awonusi of the Department of Animal Science also secured gold in the men’s doubles tournament. In the women’s doubles event, Oderemi Fayosinumi and Kelani Funmilola, both from the Department of Pharmacy, won silver.
The university’s success continued in the team Scrabble tournament, where Awonusi, Onuh and Enyi won gold. The three students also received individual recognition during the competition. Awonusi was reported to have won gold and been named Team Most Valuable Player (MVP), while Onuh received silver and the Team MVP recognition. Enyi also secured bronze and was named Team MVP.
Chess featured prominently among the university’s reported achievements, with UI students securing medals in individual and team events. In the men’s individual chess competition, Akinyemi David of the College of Medicine won silver, while Adeniran Peter of the Department of Sociology and Ogbonna Henry of the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering secured gold and silver, respectively.
Osakwe Simeon of the College of Medicine won gold in both the men’s individual chess and blitz chess events. The women’s individual competition also produced gold-medal finishes for Wilson Princess of the Department of Physiology and Osuntoki Favour of the College of Medicine.
In the women’s team event, Osuntoki, Arogundade Folakemi of the Department of Chemistry Education, Wilson and Eboselu Esoimeme of the Department of Biochemistry secured silver.
UI’s men’s team, comprising Akinyemi, Osisanwo Ifeoluwa and Osakwe, all from the College of Medicine, alongside Ogbonna and Adeniran, won bronze. The team initially finished tied for second place but was awarded bronze following a tie-break.
In squash, Siyanbade Adedamola Olalekan and Oluwagunwa Michael Oluwatimilehin won bronze in the men’s doubles event, adding another discipline to the list of sports in which UI students earned recognition.
At the conclusion of the competition, UI secured fourth place with 17 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze medals, bringing its total to 42. Benson Idahosa University finished third with 21 gold medals, while the University of Ghana secured second place with 26 gold medals. The host institution, Obafemi Awolowo University, topped the medal table with 33 gold medals.
The competition provided an opportunity for university athletes to test their abilities against peers from other institutions, with the medal-winning performances highlighting the sporting participation of students beyond their academic commitments.
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With the 2026 edition concluded, attention now turns to future university sporting competitions, including the 2027 National University Games scheduled to be hosted by the University of Calabar, Cross River State.
