Paralympic Games: Sports Minister congratulates Enioluwa on winning first medal for Nigeria

The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Enoh, has congratulated Mariam Eniola Bolaji for winning bronze in the women’s SL3 singles at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

On Monday morning, she won Team Nigeria’s first medal at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the Para badminton women’s singles SL3 event, defeating Ukraine’s Kozyna Oksana 21-9, 21-9 in the bronze medal match.

Perscondnews reports that Eniola has become the first African to win a medal in para-badminton.

A statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Sports Development, Diana Mary-Nsan, said Enoh was on hand to encourage her and charged her to be calm and to take charge her next game against Ukraine after she lost the semi-final match on Sunday.

The minister reminded her that she is the first African to come this far in para-badminton, and that she needs to make a mark as she plays for bronze to win for her late coach Bello Oyebanji, herself, and the country.

He said: “You all can do it for yourselves and for the country. As a ministry, we have made available what you need, make all of the sports-loving people of Nigeria proud of you, fly the nation’s flag very high in Paris.

“I believe in your capacity. Having done all we should as government, we are rooting for you. It is now over to you to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.”

This is Team Nigeria’s first medal in this season’s Olympic and Paralympic 2024 games.

The Paralympic games are ongoing; Bolawa Akingbemisiu, Kayode Alabi, and Isau Ogunkule are to take on their opponents in the Round of 16 table tennis on the same day.

Bolaji Born in Ibadan and raised in Ilorin, she gave up a tennis career to pursue para-badminton, thanks to her late coach, Bello Oyebanji, who tragically lost his life in an accident.

Bolaji dedicates her victory to Oyebanji, who taught her the ropes.

She said: “The late Coach was like a father to me, a man of discipline who supported me. He inspired me to take up para badminton instead of tennis, and I am happy with the results.”