Mariam Eniola Bolaji arrived in Paris as the top contender in the women’s singles SL3, having won six of her last seven tournaments.
The Nigerian star had a strong start at her first Paralympics, defeating India’s Mandeep Kaur and Australia’s Celine Vinot in straight games to reach the quarterfinal stage.
Bolaji has dedicated her quest for a medal to her late coach, Bello Rafiu Oyebanji, who tragically passed away in a motor accident three years ago.
Oyebanji, a coach, BWF Shuttle Time Tutor, and Africa’s No.1 SL4 player, was instrumental in developing Para badminton in Africa.
He began playing in 2014 and was a pioneer in training and encouraging younger players.
Bolaji fondly recalled Oyebanji’s dream of seeing her compete and win a medal at the Paralympics.
“This is amazing, it’s something I’ve dreamed of,” Bolaji said. “I was training for Tokyo 2020 in mixed doubles but I lost my coach. So it is an honour for me to be here. I’m happy because it’s a dream for me. It was my coach’s dream as well; he was the one who brought me up. I have to win the medal, because I have to dedicate it to him.”
Bolaji has had an outstanding year, winning the Uganda PB International, a triple crown at the Africa Championships, and finishing 2023 with a title in Dubai.
She continued her success this year with another triple crown at the Egypt PB International.
Despite a surprise quarterfinal loss at the World Championships, she bounced back with consecutive titles in Spain.
A key factor in her success has been her training stint with a club in Spain since November last year.
“I won the Uganda International in 2023, so BCA (Badminton Confederation of Africa) organized a camp, and my coach in Spain invited me to train there,” Bolaji explained.
“In Nigeria, I have to take a cab to the stadium, but in Spain, I just walk two minutes. I play with professional players at the club, which has helped me a lot. Sometimes we travel to other clubs to train and play.”
Despite being the favorite, Bolaji remains confident and unfazed by the pressure. “I’m fully prepared, so the opening match was fine by me. The first game was very easy,” she said. “I’m very confident because everyone in my category is afraid of me.” After a brief pause, she added, “and I’m afraid of them.”