Nigeria’s Olympic heroes and sheroes

As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approaches, PUNCH Sports Extra’s ABIODUN ADEWALE reviews the athletes who have won the 27 medals the country boasts of at the Games

Nojim Maiyegun (Tokyo 1964)

Born February 17, 1941, in Lagos, Maiyegun became Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic medallist after winning bronze in the men’s light middleweight (71kg) category at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. He also won a bronze medal at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica among several other laurels he won while representing Nigeria. Maiyegun relocated to Austria in 1971 to continue his professional boxing career. However, he had a short professional career between 1971 and 1973 with only 16 bouts, winning 12 including 10 knockouts and four defeats as well. In 2012, he revealed that he had lost his sight.

Isaac Ikhouria (Munich 1972)

Still in boxing, Nigeria’s second Olympic medal came courtesy of Ikhouria who won a bronze medal for the country in Munich in 1972 in the light-heavyweight category. He was born on October 9, 1947. A year after his medal feat in Munich, he won a gold medal at the 1973 Africa Games in Lagos.

Peter Konyegwachie (Los Angeles 1984)

It took 20 years before Nigeria could upgrade from a bronze medal to a silver medal at the Olympic Games and that was won by Konyegwachie during the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. He claimed it in the men’s featherweight category. Two years later in 1986, Konyegwachie became professional and won his first 15 fights before getting stopped by a journeyman in 1990. He retired after the bout at 15-1-0. He also won a gold medal during the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia.

Duncan Dokiwari (Atlanta 1996)

Nigeria’s boxing success at the Olympics seems to have continued in 1996 when Dokiwari won bronze in the men’s super heavyweight, sharing it with Russia’s Aleksei Lezin, but that infamously was Nigeria’s last medal in the boxing event. He turned pro in 1997 and went on to have 28 fights, winning 25 including 22 knockouts and three losses.

Chioma Ajunwa (Atlanta 1996)

Twelve years after Nigeria’s first silver at the Olympic Games, Ajunwa became the first athlete to win a gold medal for the country as well as the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event after winning gold in the women’s long jump. She landed a huge first attempt of 7.12m which was not bettered over six attempts by other competitors, as she finished ahead of Fiona May (Italy) and Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA). In the process, she set three records, (national record, African record and championship record). Before turning to track and field, Ajuwa tried to find her feet in football, being a member of the Super Falcons at the maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991.

Enefiok Udo-Obong, 4x400m men (Sydney 2000) and 4×400 men (Athens 2004)

Udo-Obong is the only Nigerian man to win two Olympic medals, winning a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2000, he ran the anchor leg and took Nigeria from fourth to second in the quartet which also had Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye and Sunday Bada. They finished second behind the USA, but Nigeria was awarded the gold medal 12 years later, after the International Olympic Committee stripped the USA of the gold due to the late Antonio Pettigrew’s confession, to having taken performance-enhancing drugs at the time of the games. In 2004 during the Athens Games, he also ran the anchor leg with the likes of James Godday, Musa Audu and Saul Weigopwa to win bronze for Nigeria. Currently serving as the technical director of the Lagos State Athletics Association, Udo-Obong is also a writer, speaker, businessman, and administrator. He has published three books relating to his experience on the track.

Falilat Ogunkoya (Atlanta 1996)

In 1996, Ogunkoya came home with two medals from the Atlanta Games after winning silver in the women’s 4x400m relay and bronze in the women’s 400m. As a result, she became the first Nigerian to win an individual track and field medal at the Olympic Games. Despite finishing third behind Marie-José Pérec of France and Cathy Freeman of Australia, her time of 49.10s was good enough for a personal best and African record at that time.  She also won four African titles in the 200m and 400m.

Mary Onyali (Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996)

From 1986 to 2004, Onyali didn’t just have a long career but was a successful athlete while representing Nigeria. She won the bronze medal in the 4x100m relay team which also had Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson and Faith Idehen at the 1992 Olympic Games. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, she also won a bronze in the women’s 200m. Her consecutive Olympic appearances from 1988 to 2004 made her the first Nigerian to compete at five Olympics. She also won the 1994 Commonwealth Games 100m title.

Glory Alozie (Sydney 2000)

Now a Spanish citizen, Alozie also won silver for Nigeria in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.68s at the Sydney 2000 Games. She also won the African Championship twice and later won the European Championship while representing Spain in 2002.

Ruth Ogbeifo (Sydney 2000)

Ogbeifo won Nigeria’s first-ever weightlifting medal in 2000 while competing in the 75kg. She claimed a silver medal, with 245.0 kg in total.

Utondu, Opara-Thompson, Onyali and Idehen (Barcelona 1992)

The first success for Nigeria’s women’s relay team was recorded by the quartet Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson, Mary Onyali and Faith Idehen during the Barcelona 1992 Games where they won bronze in the women’s 4x100m relay.

Afolabi, Yusuf, Opara and Ogunkoya (Atlanta 1996)

Twelve years after the men had won a medal in the 4x400m relay, Nigeria’s female quartet of Olabisi Afolabi, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara and Falilat Ogunkoya rose to the occasion with a time of 3:21.04 in Atlanta and claimed silver behind the USA (3:20.91) while Germany was third (3:21.14).

Izonritei, Igbineghu (Barcelona 1992)

Before Nigeria could claim many other first medals in other events, there were more boxing medals for Nigeria at the Barcelona 1992 Games courtesy of David Izonritei and Richard Igbineghu who both won silver in the men’s heavyweight and men’s super heavyweight respectively.

Uti, Ugbise, Peters, Egbunike (Los Angeles 1984)

Anchored by the legendary 400m runner, Innocent Egbunike, Nigeria’s first-ever relay medal came during the 1984 Games in Los Angeles when Egunike, Sunday Uti, Moses Ugbisie and Rotimi Peters won bronze in the men’s 4x400m final.

Adeniken, Ezinwa, Imoh, Kayode and Ezinwa (Barcelona 1992)

Arguably the best 4x100m relay race Nigeria has ever run, Olapade Adeniken, Davidson Ezinwa, Chidi Imoh, Oluyemi Kayode and Osmond Ezinwa (only heats) finished second behind the USA for silver during the Barcelona 1992 Games. They ran in lane five and kept the pace up with smooth baton exchange and speed to finish ahead of Great Britain and Cuba.

Olusoji Fasuba, Uchenna Emedolu, Aaron Egbele and Deji Aliu, (Athens 2004)

After the exploits of Adeniken, Ezinwa, Imoh, Kayode and Ezinwa in Barcelona in 1992, it took Nigeria another 12 years and three Olympics to win another men’s 4x100m medal. This time, the quartet of Olusoji Fasuba, Uchenna Emedolu, Aaron Egbele and Deji Aliu finished third behind Great Britain and the USA.

1996 men’s football team

Winning gold in the men’s football event of the 1996 Olympic Games is not just another milestone in the history of Nigeria’s journey at the Games, it is an accomplishment that easily overshadows every other. This is no doubt, due to the calibre of teams the Nigeria U-23 team defeated to win the gold medal. With victories over Hungary and Japan in the group stages, Nigeria’s task of reaching the final was more difficult in the semi-finals after meeting Brazil, who had beaten them in the group stage. Nigeria showed remarkable resilience against the Brazilians, levelling the score not once but twice, having gone 3-1 down by the end of the first half. Kanu’s iconic equaliser in added time and his sublime golden goal in extra time secured Nigeria’s place in the final and left the football world stunned. The final against Argentina was not any easier, but thanks to Celestine Babayaro, Daniel Amokachi and Emmanuel Amuneke, Nigeria levelled twice and won the game 3-2.

2008 men’s football team

Led by coach Samson Siasia, Nigerians will never forget how the Deam Team were undone by Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi in the final of the men’s football event in Beijing. The team had a good run from the group stages through the knockouts and famously edged Belgium 3-0 in the semi-finals. However, they settled for silver after losing the final 1-0.

2016 men’s football team

From being stranded in Atlanta to arriving in Manaus a few hours before their first game against Japan, Siasia and the 2016 men’s football team weathered the storm to winning their ‘golden’ bronze medal in Rio. They beat Honduras 3-2 in the third-place match and completed a historic set of medals for Nigeria in the event having won gold in 1996 and silver in 2008.

Idoko, Kemasuode, Ismaila, Osayomi, Osazuwa (Beijing 2008)

The team of Franca Idoko, Gloria Kemasuode, Halimat Ismaila, Oludamola Osayomi and Agnes Osazuwa won Nigeria’s last relay medal at the 2008 Games, claiming silver. Since then, neither the male nor the female team have won any relay medal.

Blessing Okagbare (Beijing 2008)

Although famous for the 100m and 200m, Okagbare’s only Olympic medal for Nigeria was won in the long jump event – silver. Okagbare was suspended after failing a drug test on July 31, 2021, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and she is currently serving a 10-year ban for breaching multiple World Athletics anti-doping rules. Her ban expires on July 30, 2032.

Chika Chukwumerije (Beijing 2008)

Among the 27 medals Nigeria has won at the Olympics, there was a first for taekwondo in 2008 when Chukwumerije, won bronze after defeating Akmal Irgashev of Uzbekistan. He first drew attention in 2003 during the qualifiers for the 2003 Africa Games, where he eventually won a bronze medal in the heavyweight male category. He qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens but lost his first bout to Pascal Gentil, the eventual bronze medal winner. He also didn’t make it beyond the first bout in 2012.

Mariam Usman (Beijing 2008)

Four-time African champion Usman won Nigeria’s second weightlifting medal by claiming bronze in the +75 at the 2008 Games.

Blessing Oborududu (Tokyo 2020)

Returning to the Olympics in Paris, Oborududu, a 14-time African champion is the first wrestler to win an Olympic medal after winning silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games which was held in 2021.

Ese Brume (Tokyo 2020)

Famous for not failing to win a medal at every major competition she has attended for Nigeria, Brume is making a return to the Olympics in Paris, hoping to add or upgrade the bronze she won in 2020. She won bronze in Tokyo with a jump of 6.97m. She currently holds the Commonwealth Games record, African junior record and African record in the event.