Mariam Eniola Bolaji of Nigeria made history by becoming the first African athlete to secure a badminton medal at either the Olympics or Paralympics. She clinched the bronze in the women’s singles SL3 at the Paris Paralympics on Monday.

In the bronze medal match held at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris on 2 September 2024, Bolaji triumphed over Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyna with a score of 21-9, 21-9. This victory not only marks a significant personal achievement for the 18-year-old but also represents Nigeria’s first medal at the Paris Paralympics.

Bolaji’s win comes three years after the tragic death of her coach, Bello Oyebanji, who passed away in a road accident while she was preparing for the Tokyo Paralympics.