Isau Ogunkunle has ended Nigeria’s 24-year medal drought in the singles event of table tennis at the Paralympic Games by winning a bronze medal.
Despite a semifinal loss to South Korea’s Kim Young-gun in the Men’s Class 4 at the South Arena in Paris, Ogunkunle’s performance was commendable.
The last time Nigeria won medals in the singles event was at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, where Tajudeen Agunbiade and Alabi Olufemi secured gold and bronze. Ogunkunle’s journey in Paris was impressive, starting strong with an 11-9 win in the first game against Kim.
However, he faced setbacks in the next two games, losing 11-5 and 11-4. In a thrilling fourth game, Ogunkunle caught up to 9-9 and even led 10-9, but Kim’s tactical play led to a 13-11 victory, resulting in a 3-1 win for the Korean.
Ogunkunle expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting that it would boost his world ranking.
He appreciated the support from the Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, who promised continued support for the athletes. Ogunkunle remains determined to work harder for future events and acknowledges the support of his coach and team.
Also on Saturday, Nigeria’s Bose Omolayo, made it a hattrick of medals at the Paralympics after winning the silver medal in the women’s Up to 79kg Para Powerlifting category at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, lifting an impressive 145kg.
Omolayo, who had previously won gold in the same category at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, opened with this medal-winning attempt, immediately breaking the Paralympic Record of 141kg she set in 2021.
The competition intensified as China’s Han Miayou, the World Record holder, lifted 146kg in her opening round. Omolayo faced a significant challenge with her 151kg attempt, which appeared to aggravate an injury in her right arm. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to complete the lift on her third attempt.
Han Miayou capitalized on the opportunity, breaking the World Record with a remarkable 154kg lift, while the Bronze medal went to Egypt’s Safaa Hassan, who lifted 139kg.
