Nigeria Sports Celebrating passion, talent and excellence

Mariam Eniola Bolaji
Photo: Mentxuwiki, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Badminton · Players · No. 2

Mariam Eniola Bolaji

Paralympic bronze medallist, world silver medallist and world No. 1: Nigeria’s trailblazer in para-badminton.

  • BronzeParis 2024 Paralympics
  • Silver2026 World Championships
  • No. 1World ranking, SL3
  • 1stAfrican Paralympic badminton medal

Africa’s first Paralympic badminton medallist

Mariam Eniola Bolaji made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, winning bronze in women’s singles SL3. It was the first badminton medal for any African country at the Olympic or Paralympic Games, and Nigeria’s first medal of those Paralympics.

World silver and world No. 1

At the 2026 BWF Para Badminton World Championships in Manama, Bahrain, she reached the final of women’s singles SL3, losing to Japan’s Shino Kawai 12-21, 17-21. The silver, with Chigozie Jeremiah Nnanna’s bronze in SL4, gave Africa its first medals at the Para World Championships, and she rose to world No. 1 in SL3.

Champion at home

She won SL3 gold at the 2025 All Africa Para Badminton Championships in Umuahia, Abia State, where Nigeria topped the medal table with 36 medals. In August 2025 she became the first Nigerian badminton player to sign a corporate sponsorship, a four-year deal with GIG Logistics to support her road to the LA 2028 Paralympics.

More Nigerian badminton

Quick answers

Mariam Eniola Bolaji: facts and results

Who is Mariam Eniola Bolaji?

A Nigerian para-badminton player in the SL3 class. She won bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Africa’s first Olympic or Paralympic badminton medal, and silver at the 2026 Para World Championships.

Is Eniola Bolaji world number one?

Yes. After her silver medal at the 2026 World Championships in Bahrain she became world No. 1 in women’s singles SL3.

What class does Eniola Bolaji play in?

SL3, a standing class for players with lower-limb impairments, played on a half-width court.