On Sunday, Nigerians beamed with pride as Nigeria’s D’Tigress made history by securing a place in the Olympic quarterfinals.
Despite being the lowest-ranked team in the women’s basketball event, the team, led by Rena Wakama, demonstrated remarkable determination. They became the first-ever African team, male or female, to achieve this feat by defeating world number three, Australia, and world number five, Canada, earning a spot among the elite eight in Group B.
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This historic achievement is one of many milestones Nigeria has recorded at the Olympic Games. Here are five other historic firsts achieved by Nigeria:
1. The first African team to win the gold medal in football (1996): Nigeria’s U-23 football team, led by coach Jo Bonfrere, won Africa’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in football at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The “Dream Team” defeated Argentina 3-2 in the final, with Emmanuel Amuneke scoring the winning goal.
2. Chioma Ajunwa’s historic long jump gold medal (1996): At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Chioma Ajunwa became the first African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the long jump, with a leap of 7.12 meters.
3. Aruna Quadri: First African men’s singles quarterfinalist: Quadri made history by becoming the first African to reach the men’s singles event quarterfinals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
4. 4x100m Men’s relay silver medal (1992): Nigeria’s men’s 4x100m relay team won a silver medal at the Barcelona 1992 Games, setting an African record of 37.98 seconds.
5. 4x100m Women’s relay silver medal (2008): The Nigerian women’s 4x100m relay team won a historic silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, following the disqualification of the Russian team due to doping.
These achievements underscore Nigeria’s pioneering spirit and excellence in the Olympic arena. As the Games continue, the world eagerly awaits Team Nigeria’s next remarkable accomplishment.
