Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic medalist and former boxer, Nojim Maiyegun has passed away at the age of 83.
The news was confirmed by his close confidante, Rudolfine F. Soultan, in an emotional Facebook post on Monday, August 26, 2024.
“My Jimmy died. I can’t say more about this right now because it’s just horrible. The day after tomorrow, we would have been together for 17 years,” Soultan wrote, expressing her sorrow.
According to reports, Maiyegun died on Monday morning at his residence in Vienna, Austria, following a prolonged battle with an undisclosed illness.
Maiyegun made history at 23 when he won Nigeria’s first Olympic medal, a bronze, in the light-heavyweight boxing category at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
He earned his place on the podium with a decisive victory over Great Britain’s William Robinson, whom he defeated in just one minute and 59 seconds during the second round.
Maiyegun advanced to the quarter-finals, where he overcame Denmark’s Tom Bogs before losing to France’s Joseph Gonzalez in the semi-final, securing a bronze medal alongside Poland’s Józef Grzesiak.
In 1966, Maiyegun added another bronze medal to his achievements at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.
After a successful amateur career, Maiyegun left Nigeria in 1971 to pursue professional boxing. He fought 16 times as a professional, winning 12 matches, including 10 by knockout.
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