Nigeria’s first Olympic medallist Maiyegun Passes Away at 85
Nigeria’s first Olympic medallist, Nojim Maiyegun, died on Monday, aged 85.
The former boxer, who made history by winning a bronze medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, passed away in Vienna, Austria, where he resided for several years after relocating from Nigeria.
Multiple sources confirmed that Maiyegun died of natural causes after being in and out of the hospital for the past six months.
Known to have been visually impaired for several years, Maiyegun’s condition had reportedly worsened before his death.
The news of his death was verified by Stephen Ogboh, a Nigerian acquaintance living in Austria, who confirmed the sad development to the Sports Village community.
Maiyegun’s demise comes just days after the 60th anniversary of his historic feat of August 10, 1964, when he won Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic medal, where he competed in the light middleweight category, Maiyegun shared the bronze medal with Poland’s Józef Grzesiak after both boxers lost in the semifinals.
