Nigeria Secures Silver and Bronze, Expanding Medal Tally

Team Nigeria continues to make impressive strides at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, with Flora Ugwunwa and Isau Ogunkunle adding silver and bronze to the nation’s medal tally, bringing the total to four.

Flora Ugwunwa delivered an outstanding performance in the women's Javelin F54, earning a silver medal with a remarkable throw of 19.26m. She finished behind Uzbekistan’s Nurkhon Kurbanova, who set a new world record with a 21.12m throw. This achievement marks Nigeria’s first-ever medal in the women's Javelin category at the Paralympic Games.

At 40 years old, Ugwunwa has now won three consecutive Paralympic medals, following her gold medals at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and continues to be a dominant force in the sport. The bronze in the event went to Elham Salehi of Iran, who achieved a throw of 16.24m.

In another remarkable showing, Isau Ogunkunle secured a bronze medal in the Men's Singles Class 4 Table Tennis event, marking Nigeria's first singles medal in the sport since Sydney 2000. Ogunkunle’s feat revives the legacy of Nigeria’s Paralympic success in table tennis, last seen when Tajudeen Agunbiade and Alabi Olufemi claimed gold and bronze, respectively, in Class 9 at the Sydney Games.

Ogunkunle’s journey to the semifinals was filled with impressive victories, including a stunning 3-1 win against reigning Paralympic champion Abdullah Ozturk of Turkey in the Round of 16, and a 3-1 triumph over Maxime Thomas of France, a Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist, in the quarterfinals.

Despite his strong run, Ogunkunle’s quest for gold ended in the semifinals, where he faced Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kim Young-Gun of South Korea. He put up a valiant fight but ultimately lost 3-1, securing the bronze and adding Nigeria’s fifth medal at Paris 2024.

Team Nigeria’s other medalists so far include Onyinyechi Mark, Eniola Bolaji, and Esther Nworgu, all contributing to the country's growing success at the Paralympic Games.

Key Moments:

• Flora Ugwunwa’s 19.26m throw earns silver in women’s Javelin F54.

• Isau Ogunkunle secures Nigeria’s first Paralympic singles table tennis medal since 2000.

• Nigeria’s total medal count at Paris 2024 rises to five.

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