From Lagos to the Olympics: Meet Adegoke Onaopemipo, Nigeria’s squash ‘smiling assassin’ hoping to make history at LA28

Adegoke Onaopemipo’s greatest asset on the court has nothing to do with how the ball leaves his racquet, but rather, how his facial muscles produce an infectiously disarming smile —even during the tensest matches.

“It's something I found out about myself, and then it's been helping me a lot,” the 25-year-old squash vagabond – who’s travelled the world going from tournament to tournament – told Olympics.com in between matches at The World Games 2025.

“I noticed most players, when they're under pressure, just try to remember what happened in the last point. But for me, I try as much as possible to smile it out, and then move on to the next point, which has been a very big influence and a very great thing in my life.”

Growing up in the Nigerian port city of Lagos, Onaopemipo was exposed to many mainstream sports through the youth programs offered at the Unilag Sports Centre.

And while basketball and tennis called to the young athlete, it was ultimately squash where he found his forever home, even if he was – to put it mildly – reluctant to try the sport.

“I didn't like squash,” admitted the current Nigerian No. 1. “I told my brother, ‘I don't like this game. You guys just fight against the wall. There's nothing best in it.’”

But like any reasonable brother, he eventually caved to his sibling’s prodding.

“After some time, I tried squash with my brother and I loved it,” continued squash’s self-proclaimed ‘smiling assassin.’

“Then in my first-ever tournament, I made it to the semis, and I said to myself, ‘I think I have a talent here.’ So since then, I've been playing squash.”

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