Ajunwa decries 30-year individual Olympic gold drought

Nigerian champion Chioma Ajunwa has expressed her disappointment over Nigeria's failure to produce another Olympic champion over the past three decades. The sole individual gold medallist at the Atlanta 1996 Games, Ajunwa won gold in the women's long jump with a leap of 7.12m. Reflecting on her achievement, she lamented the country's inability to build more champions, attributing it to the lack of proper sports structures, funding, and vision.

Ajunwa urged the government and sports administrators to create an enabling environment for future athletes. In 2021, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu honoured her with the keys to a three-bedroom flat in Iponri, Lagos, 25 years after a previous promise. Despite Nigeria's historic victories in football and athletics since Ajunwa's feat, the retired athlete pointed out the forgotten status of sporting heroes and the broken promises made to them.