Elizabeth Anyanacho Ends 20-Year Wait as Nigeria Returns to World Taekwondo Podium

Nigeria is back on the global taekwondo map. At the 2025 World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi, China, Elizabeth Anyanacho clinched a bronze medal in the women’s -67kg category. This was the first time a Nigerian has stood on a podium at this championship since 2005.

Anyanacho, ranked Africa’s number one in her weight class, defeated Uzbekistan’s Sobibronova O. with scores of 8–6 and 10–9 in the quarter-finals to secure her place in the semi-finals and guarantee at least a bronze.

Her achievement is a milestone for the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) under new leadership and signals renewed optimism within Nigerian sport. The National Sports Commission director-general described the medal as a “national victory” and a sign of the country’s resurgence in international sport.

In the wider context, 2025 has already been a year of positive sporting news for Nigeria, and Anyanacho’s podium finish adds momentum to this trend.