Eniola Bolaji has etched her name in history as the first African athlete to win a medal in Para-Badminton, securing a bronze medal for Nigeria in the Women’s Singles SL3 category at the Paris Paralympics. On Monday morning, Bolaji achieved this historic feat by defeating her Ukrainian opponent, Oksana Kozyna, in straight sets, 2-0 (21-9, 21-9), to win Nigeria’s first Paralympic medal in Paris.
Bolaji had her sights set on gold but fell short in the semi-final on Sunday, losing 2-0 (16-21, 17-21) to China’s Zuxian Xiao. However, she redeemed herself with a strong performance to clinch the bronze medal on Monday, ending Nigeria’s medal drought following disappointing results at the Olympic Games and the recently concluded World U-20 Athletics Championship.
The fast-rising para-badminton teenage star, who became the first African to win gold at a para-badminton international championship, revealed that the thoughts of her late coach, Bello Rafiu Oyebanji, inspired her to victory. Oyebanji tragically passed away in a road accident in April while on his way to secure a visa for Bolaji’s participation in the 2021 Spanish Para-Badminton International competition in Cartagena, Spain. Despite the heartbreak, Bolaji persevered and made history just one month after her coach’s death, coming from a set down to defeat Kozyna 18-21, 21-14, 21-18 in the final.
Reflecting on her victory in Spain, Bolaji said, “I’m very happy to have won the championship and also being the first African to achieve this feat. But it was tough for me prior to the tournament. My late coach, who sadly passed away in April, will always be my biggest inspiration.”
Bolaji’s victory in Spain not only secured her place in history but also qualified her for the World Para-Badminton Championship in Japan in October. The 19-year-old athlete, who capitalized on Kozyna’s weaknesses to win the final, expressed her hope of winning another gold medal in Japan.
On Sunday, Bolaji also became the first African to qualify for the semi-final of a badminton event at the Paralympic Games by defeating India’s Mandeep Kaur 2-0 in the quarter-final. However, her dream of winning gold was cut short by China’s Xiao Zhuxian in the semi-final. Despite this, Bolaji’s determination to honor her late coach, Oyebanji, has been a driving force behind her incredible achievements and her promise to win a medal at the Paralympics has now been fulfilled.