Badminton player, Eniola Bolaji, has won the first medal for Nigeria, at the ongoing Paralympics event in Paris, France.
INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that Bolaji beat Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyna on Monday, to secure the bronze medal.
The Nigerian badminton’s player succumbed to a 2-0 (16-21, 17-21) defeat to China’s Zuxian Xiao in the women’s singles SL3 semi-finals on Sunday, ending her hopes of grabbing a gold in the event.
Earlier, she became the first African para-athlete to make the semi-finals of the para-badminton event with a straight-set victory against India’s Mandeep Kaur in the women’s singles SL3 quarter-finals, winning 2-0 (21-8, 21-9).
After her quarterfinal win on Sunday, she expressed a strong desire to win the gold medal, but that is no longer going to be.
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Bolaji expressed her determination to bring home the gold, writing on her social media page:
“I became the first African para-athlete to make the semi-finals of the para-badminton event at the Paralympics 2024. The story isn’t complete without the gold medal; that’s our destination. Nigeria to the world. Alhamdulillah.”
The player and her compatriot Chigozie Nnanna have been blazing the trail in Paris, as they became the first African athletes to win a match at the Paralympics during the group stages.
Also responding to questions in a post-match interview on Monday, Bolaji disclosed that the lost the semi-final game due to pressure on.
She said: “I lost my semi-final match yesterday due to the pressure I put myself.
“I was anxious to win, and because I had beaten my opponent twice before the Olympics, I was eager to win.
”In the process, I made a lot of mistakes that she took advantage of.
“I have learnt my lesson, that I have to be calm no matter the pressure, ”
