As reported by The Informant, Mariam Eniola Bolaji has secured Team Nigeria’s first medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by winning the bronze in the Para badminton women’s singles SL3 event on Monday morning.

The Kwara-born athlete triumphed over Kozyna Oksana of Ukraine, defeating her 21-9, 21-9 in the bronze medal match. Bolaji’s achievement marks a historic moment as she becomes the first African Para-athlete to reach the semifinals of the Para Badminton event at the Paralympics.

Bolaji’s journey to this milestone has been nothing short of extraordinary. She made headlines earlier in the tournament by becoming the first African to advance to the semifinals in Para Badminton at the Paralympics.

Although she narrowly missed a spot in the finals after losing to China’s Xiao Zuxian in two closely contested sets, Bolaji’s determination and resilience shone through.

With this achievement, Team Nigeria has risen from an unranked position to 60th on the Paralympic medal table.