Paralympics: Speaker Abbas hails Nigeria’s Bolaji for Africa’s first badminton win

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has congratulated Nigerian athlete, Bolaji Eniola Mariam, for winning the first medal for Nigeria and becoming the first-ever African to win a medal in Para Badminton at the ongoing Paralympic Games.

Speaker Abbas noted that Bolaji’s performance and victory at the Paralympics was a testament to the die-hard, dogged and unrelenting spirit of Nigerians.

The Speaker, in a congratulatory message issued through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, charged other Nigerian athletes at the Paralympics with winning more medals and making their country proud.

“I am proud of you, and the House is cheering you to victory,” the Speaker told Bolaji and other Nigerian Paralympians at the global sports festival.

Bolaji had beaten Ukraine’s Kozyna Oksana in straight sets, 2-0 (21-9, 21-9), in the third-place match held at La Chappelle Arena on Monday. She had lost her gold medal chance to Chinese Xiao Zhuxian in the semi-finals.

The Nigerian athlete dedicated her bronze medal to her late coach, Rafiu Oyebanji, who died in a road accident preparatory to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.