Nigeria – Nojim Maiyegun, a former Nigerian boxer and the country’s first-ever Olympic medalist, has died at the age of 83.
His death was confirmed by a close associate, Rudolfine F. Soultan, who shared the news on Facebook on Monday.
In her post, Soultan expressed her grief, writing, “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.”
According to The Cable, Maiyegun passed away on Monday morning at his home in Vienna, Austria. He had reportedly been struggling with an undisclosed illness for several months.
At the age of 23, Maiyegun made history by winning Nigeria’s first Olympic medal, securing a bronze in the light-heavyweight boxing category at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In the second round of the competition, he achieved a swift victory over Great Britain’s William Robinson, winning the match in just one minute and 59 seconds. Maiyegun then triumphed over Denmark’s Tom Bogs in the quarter-final before losing to France’s Joseph Gonzalez in the semi-final, resulting in him sharing the bronze medal with Poland’s Józef Grzesiak.
Two years later, in 1966, Maiyegun added another bronze medal to his collection at the Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica.
Maiyegun left Nigeria in 1971 to pursue a professional boxing career. During his professional tenure, he fought in 16 matches, securing 12 victories, 10 of which were by knockout.
Maiyegun’s passing marks the end of a significant chapter in Nigerian sports history, as he remains a celebrated figure for his pioneering achievements on the international stage.
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