Golden morning for Algeria and Tunisia as Riyadh 2025 enters decisive phase
Golden morning for Algeria and Tunisia as Riyadh 2025 enters decisive phase
Riyadh ; By Nawaz Gohar ; As the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games (Riyadh 2025) enters its decisive phase, Algeria and Tunisia celebrated a golden morning in the para-athletics arena, setting the tone for what promises to be one of the most action-packed closing days of the Games.
In the Women’s Para Discus Throw F56, Algeria’s Nafissa Saad delivered a superb throw of 17.52 metres at Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City, edging Saudi Arabia’s Nadha Al Humaydani by just 29 centimeters in one of the closest contests of the morning.
Tunisia joined the gold rush shortly afterward when Marwa Brahmi topped the Women’s Para Club Throw F32 with an impressive 25.79 metres, outclassing Morocco’s Oumaima Oubraym and Iran’s Parastoo Habibi, who finished with throws of 24.20 metres and 22.89 metres respectively.
Thursday marks the final and most intensive day of athletics at Riyadh 2025, featuring an extraordinary 13 medal events spread across Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City and Boulevard Riyadh City. The morning programme includes the Women’s Para Javelin Throw and the Men’s 5000m Race Walk, supplemented by various qualifiers in the long jump, javelin and 200m sprint categories.
The evening session is set to be a spectacle, promising high-stakes finals across Men’s Long Jump, Women’s Javelin, the 4×100m relays for both men and women, Men’s Para Discus F57, Men’s 5000m, Men’s Para 100m T53/54, Men’s Discus Throw, Men’s 110m Hurdles, Women’s 200m, Men’s 800m, Women’s Shot Put, Women’s 1500m, Women’s 5000m, Women’s Pentathlon 800m, and the eagerly awaited Mixed 4×400m Relay.
Camel racing will also conclude on Thursday at Al Janadriyah Track with three major races, beginning with the Men’s and Women’s 8000m finals in the morning.
The afternoon session will host the Men’s and Women’s 2000m finals at 3:30 PM and 3:45 PM respectively, followed by medal ceremonies for all categories. The sport, steeped in regional heritage, has attracted strong participation and significant local interest throughout the Games.
Fencing will wrap up its final day at Boulevard Riyadh City, beginning with the morning Women’s Individual Foil preliminaries before the Women’s Foil and Men’s Sabre gold medal finals take center stage in the evening. Parallel to this, the wrestling arena will witness five high-profile freestyle wrestling finals, including the Women’s 62kg, 68kg, 76kg and the Men’s 57kg and 65kg gold medal bouts.
In a historic first, Jiu-Jitsu will debut as an official discipline at the Islamic Solidarity Games, with competitions beginning Thursday at the Combat Hall in Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City and continuing for two days.
Distinguished by its focus on grappling, submissions and positional dominance rather than striking, the martial art will feature five-minute bouts for men and four-minute bouts for women on specialised mats, expanding the competitive diversity of the Games.
Amid the intensity and excitement, the Games have also served as a platform for personal journeys, including that of Moroccan athlete Zineb Hassoun. Once uncertain whether to pursue Karate or Taekwondo, she ultimately found her calling in wrestling — a sport she initially approached with hesitation.
Today, she stands fully committed, both as an athlete and a devoted follower of the sport, eagerly preparing for her moment at Riyadh 2025. Her story reflects the spirit of determination and self-discovery that the Islamic Solidarity Games continue to inspire across the Muslim world.
From athletics to fencing, camel racing to martial arts, Riyadh 2025 is poised for a thrilling climax on Thursday, marking a spectacular finish to a landmark edition of the Games.
