Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has on Thursday rewarded first Olympic gold medalist in Nigeria, Chief Mrs (Dr) Chioma Ajunwa-Okpara (MON) with a three-bedroom flat.
The flat is located in Babatunde Raji Fashola Housing Estate, Iponri in Surelere, Lagos state.
The reward comes 25 years after former Lagos State Military Administrator, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, promised Ajunwa a house for winning the medal for long jump at 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Sanwo-Olu, who announced this at Lagos House, Alausa, said the donation was to fulfill a 25-year pledge of the then Government.
Ajunwa is now an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in the Nigeria Police Force.
Wow, @jidesanwoolu fulfilled the pledge of Lagos Govt 25 years ago to Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah (MON) the First Olympic Gold Medalist in Nigeria & in Africa.
This is so amazing to watch!👌👌👌👌#ForAGreaterLagos pic.twitter.com/OIlOy5WvEL— Taiwo_Ajakaye (@dmightyangel) June 24, 2021
Hailing from Ahiazu-Mbaise, Imo state, Ajunwa was the last of nine children, with six brothers and two sisters.
She had been a keen athletics participant during her school years but was unable to gain university degree despite getting admitted due to financial constraints after her father’s death.
As a professional sportswoman, Ajunwa originally played football for the Nigerian women’s team and was a member of The Falcons during the Women’s World Cup in 1991, but as she was constantly benched, her skill was seldom used as an attacker.
Then, Ajunwa performed as a track and field athlete and specialised in the 100m, 200m and long jump. She competed at 1990 Commonwealth Games, winning a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay, and competed at African Championships in 1989 and All Africa Games in 1991 where she won gold medals in the long jump.
Unfortunately, Ajunwa was banned from the sport for four years after failing a drug test in 1992 despite maintaining her innocence.
Following the completion of her suspension, Ajunwa went on to become the first West-African woman, as well as the first Nigerian, to win an Olympic gold medal in a track and field event when she emerged victorious in the women’s long jump event at 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, with a jump length of 7.12 meters (on her first attempt) during the final, and to date remains Nigeria’s only individual Olympic gold medalist.
Ajunwa is the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. She is the first and only woman to compete in FIFA Women’s World Cup as a footballer as well as the Olympic games doing track and field.
Following her achievement, Ajunwa was given a national award – Member of the Order of Niger (MON) – by the then Head of State of Nigeria Sani Abacha, but complained that she was overlooked compared to the Nigerian football team. Imo State also awarded her a chieftaincy title.
She has since been involved in promoting sports in the country. December 2017, Ajunwa launched Chioma Ajunwa-Okpara Foundation to discover new Nigerian stars in sports. The Foundation, in collaboration with the Abia State government, sponsored an Under-16 Athletics Championship for Secondary Schools in March 2018.
