- Eniola Mariam Bolaji has become the first African athlete to win a medal in Para-Badminton, clinching a Bronze medal for Nigeria in the women’s Singles SL3 category.
The historic moment came on Monday morning when Bolaji triumphed over her Ukrainian opponent, Oksana Kozyna, in straight sets, 2-0 (21-9, 21-9), during the Paralympic Games in Paris.
Although she had set her sights on the gold medal, her dreams were narrowly dashed in the semi-final on Sunday, where she was defeated 2-0 (16-21, 17-21) by China’s Zuxian Xiao.
Despite the setback, Bolaji rebounded with resilience, ensuring Nigeria’s presence on the medal table by securing the bronze in the following match.
This victory is particularly significant for Nigeria, as it ends a period of medal drought that had extended through recent major international competitions, including the Olympic Games and the World U-20 Athletics Championship.