In a historic achievement for Nigerian sports, 18-year-old athlete, Oyinlomo Bolaji, claimed Africa’s first-ever Paralympic medal in badminton, securing a bronze in the women’s SL3 category. The SL3 category is designated for players with a moderate limitation of movement on one side of the body, in both legs, or those with missing limbs.
Bolaji delivered an impressive performance, defeating Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyna in straight sets, 21-9, 21-9. Reflecting on her victory, Bolaji expressed her joy, stating, “I feel good. I’m happy because at least I’m going home with a medal. I’m really pleased.”
This victory comes after a challenging semi-final where Bolaji was defeated by Zuxian Xiao. Following that match, she emotionally dedicated her bronze medal to her former coach, Bello Rafiu Oyebanji, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2021 while she was preparing for the Tokyo Paralympics. “I am dedicating the medal to him,” Bolaji said, “He will be proud of me because I’m going home with a medal.”
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Despite being one of the top contenders in her category, Bolaji admitted that the pressure got to her during the semi-final. “I learned a lot from the loss,” she said. “I was thinking about how to play my match today so that it would be easier for me. I was less emotional and I was calmer and much clearer about what I wanted to do.”
In the final match, Zuxian Xiao went on to secure the gold medal, defeating top seed Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh from Indonesia with a score of 22-14, 22-20.
The tournament also saw success in the mixed doubles SL3/SU5 category, where the French duo Lukas Mazur and Justine Noel claimed the bronze medal, overcoming Indonesia’s Siripong Teamarrom and Nipada Seansupa with a 21-14, 21-16 victory. Mazur, who previously won the SL4 title, will look to defend his title against India’s top seed Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj in a highly anticipated rematch on Monday afternoon, echoing their Paralympic showdown three years ago in Tokyo.
