Nigerian para-badminton player, Mariam Bolaji has dedicated her historic bronze medal at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Paris to her late coach, Bello Oyebanji, who tragically passed away in a motor accident three years ago.
Bolaji secured Team Nigeria’s first medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, winning bronze in the women’s singles SL3 event after defeating Ukraine’s Kozyna Oksana 2-0 (21-9, 21-9) on Monday. This remarkable achievement makes Bolaji the first African athlete to win an Olympic or Paralympic medal in badminton.
Overjoyed with her victory, the 18-year-old dedicated her medal to her late coach. “I’m happy because it’s a dream for me. It was my coach’s dream as well; he was the one who brought me up. I had to win this medal to dedicate it to him,” Bolaji said. “It was an incredible round-up as I secured a bronze medal for myself, my country, my supporters, and Africa at large at the 2024 Paralympics. God willing, I dedicate this achievement to my late coach, Bello Oyebanji. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), led by Francis Orbih, congratulated Bolaji on her success, calling it a testament to her unwavering dedication and talent. “Eniola’s remarkable victory is a testament to her unwavering dedication, exceptional talent, and relentless pursuit of excellence.
Her hard work and perseverance have paid off, not only for herself but for the entire Nigerian sporting community,” the BFN stated.
Sports Minister, John Enoh also praised Bolaji for her outstanding performance, noting her achievement as a significant milestone. “Congratulations to Mariam Bolaji on your victory earlier today (Monday). You earned Team Nigeria its first medal at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the Para badminton women’s singles SL3 event by defeating Kozyna Oksana of Ukraine 21-9, 21-9 in the bronze medal match. You have become the first African to win a medal in para-badminton. Well done, star girl! Thank you for doing it for your late coach, yourself, and your country. We are proud of you,” Enoh wrote on LinkedIn.
Bolaji has had an exceptional run over the past year, claiming victory at the Uganda PB International, securing a triple crown at the Africa Championships, and ending 2023 with a title in Dubai.
Continuing her form into 2024, she began the year with another triple crown at the Egypt PB International. Despite a surprising quarter-final loss at the World Championships, Bolaji rebounded with back-to-back titles in Spain, including a historic gold at the Spanish Para-Badminton International 2024 Level 1 tournament, where she defeated World No. 5 Mandeep Kaur of India 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) to clinch the gold medal, remaining unbeaten in two Spanish Internationals within a week.
