Nigeria’s First Olympic Medalist, Nojim Maiyegun, Passes Away
Nojim Maiyegun, Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic medalist, has passed away. The news was shared late Monday by Rudolfine Soultan (Funmilayo), an Austria-based acquaintance, in a heartfelt Facebook post.
In her post, Soultan wrote, “My Jimylein (Jimmy) is dead. I can’t say more about this right now because it’s just horrible. By the day after tomorrow, we would have been together for 17 years.”
Maiyegun, who was affectionately known as “Jimmy,” “Market Boxer,” and “Omo Oloja,” had previously marked 16 years together with Soultan in a Facebook post on August 29, 2023, sharing a photo of the two of them.
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On July 14, 2024, Soultan had shared another update on Facebook about Maiyegun’s health, stating, “Happy birthday, dear Amin. Unfortunately, we celebrate without Jimmy and not much, because he was admitted to the hospital again today. I always go with the rescue and stay with him for a few more hours.”
Born on February 17, 1941, in Lagos State, Maiyegun made history as Nigeria’s first Olympic medalist, winning a bronze medal in the men’s light middleweight (71kg) category at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. He also claimed a bronze medal at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, along with numerous other accolades while representing Nigeria.
In 1971, Maiyegun relocated to Austria to continue his professional boxing career, though his time in the ring was brief, spanning only from 1971 to 1973. During this period, he participated in 16 bouts, securing 12 victories, including 10 by knockout, and suffering four defeats. In 2012, he revealed that he had lost his sight.
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