Kwara’s Mariam Bolaji makes history, wins World Para Badminton Championship
Eniola Bolaji, a Kwara badminton player representing Nigeria, has made history by being the first African to reach the final of a major para-badminton international championship and win gold.
According to Yohaig, Bolaji won the 2021 Spanish Para-Badminton International Championship, which ended on Sunday in Cartegena, by defeating Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyna 18-21, 21-14, 21-18.
She lost the first game 18-21 in the Female Standing 3 (SL3) division, and then came back to take the next two games – 21-14, 21-18 – to win a tournament record-breaking gold medal.
Bolaji has also qualified for the World Para-Badminton Championship, which will be held in Japan in October.
They kept a minute of applause during the medal presentation ceremony to remember coach/player Bello Oyebanji, who died in a tragic accident while attempting to obtain his visa for the tournament.
Before his untimely death, Oyebanji found, trained, and mentored the new Spanish international champion.
Bolaji’s win, according to Frank Orbih, President of the Nigerian Badminton Federation, is just a test of the great potential of para-badminton’s if given the requisite support and attention.
