Nigeria's Chess Teams Struggle Olympiad in Samarkand

At the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Nigeria's chess teams struggled significantly, finishing outside the top 80 in both the Open and women's sections. The Open team ended in 118th place with 10 match points from five wins and six defeats, while the women's team placed 85th with 11 match points from four wins, three draws, and four defeats.

Uzbekistan retained the Open title with 20 match points, followed by India and Germany. In the women's competition, China emerged victorious with 20 match points, while Kazakhstan and India secured second and third places, respectively.

Nigeria's Open team had a rocky performance, highlighted by a 4-0 loss to Vietnam and a final round defeat to Hong Kong. Bomo Lovet Kigigha was the only player to secure an individual victory in the last match.

The women's team had a strong finish against Guatemala but faltered against Syria in their final match. Odey Goodness Ekunke led the women's team with 6½ points.