Nigeria’s number one squash player, Adegoke Onaopemipo, says competing alone for his country at The World Games 2025 has strengthened his resolve to qualify for the sport’s Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
The 25-year-old Lagos-born athlete, ranked 137th in the world, entered the men’s singles competition in Chengdu, China, without a coach or teammates. “It’s my first time representing Nigeria in a big Games like this, alone,” he told Olympics.com. “We are there to support each other [at the World Team Championship], but this one, I am carrying Nigeria all on my shoulder.”
Onaopemipo, who is based in New York, reached the men’s plate final after three victories in the consolation draw, following a first-round loss to Hong Kong, China’s Lau Tsz Kwan. He said his approach to competing without a coach involves preparing multiple game plans. “Since I don’t have a coach to restrategize my game, I set up a game plan for A, B and C,” he explained.
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He began playing squash after initial reluctance, encouraged by his brother, and progressed through Nigeria’s junior ranks to become national champion at 19. “Squash has been a very good thing in my life,” he said. “In Nigeria, it has shaped a lot of players; took a lot of players out of the streets.”
Onaopemipo noted that Nigerian squash players rely on private sponsorships due to limited government support. “We try as much as possible to solicit for sponsors ourselves,” he said.
The athlete welcomed the inclusion of squash in the 2028 Olympic programme. “It has changed the way I think, and made me more professional in my career, because I want to be the first Nigerian to play squash in the Olympics,” he said.
