Nigerian women have always lived up to expectations in the world of sports. 2021 was not a different year for Nigerian female athletes as they gave their best, as usual, in the competition front. Connect Nigeria presents some of the country’s finest female athletes who made a name for themselves in 2021.
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Blessing Oborududu
Making Of Champions
During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan, the chances of Nigeria winning a medal at the global showpiece seemed far from achievable until Nigerian wrestler Blessing Oborududu put up an exceptional display to qualify for the final of the women’s freestyle 68kg category and later win Silver in the event. The 32-year-old is currently ranked number two woman wrestler in the world and her Olympic feat saw her become the first Nigerian wrestler to win an Olympic medal.
Ese Brume
Newsbreak NG
On June 12, 2021, Ese Brume in what was the celebration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day flew the country’s flag high in the United States at the Chula Vista Field Festival in California. Brume leapt a distance of 7.17m to win the women’s long jump event, breaking the 25-year-old African women’s long jump record of 7.13m set by another Nigerian Chioma Ajunwa at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics where she won gold. This feat would set the pace for expectations as the Olympics drew nearer and Brume did not disappoint as she leapt a distance of 6.79m in the final of the women’s long jump event to win Nigeria bronze at the global showpiece.
Asisat Oshoala
Nairaland Forum
Super Falcons of Nigeria captain Asisat Oshoala made history on May 16, 2021, after becoming the first African female footballer to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Oshoala was subbed on in the 71st minute of FC Barcelona Femini’s 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea in the final. It is the first time the women’s team of FC Barcelona won the tournament in history, making the Spanish franchise the first European side to win the male and female categories of the tournament. Oshoala’s name is surely indelible in the club’s history.
Funke Oshonaike
Premium Times NG
Nigerian table tennis queen Funke Oshonaike made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after featuring in her 7th Olympic Games. Oshonaike is the first African female table tennis player to qualify for seven Olympics and was inducted into the prestigious 7th Club (7th club is exclusively for players who have made it to the Olympics on seven occasions) by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). She is the first African woman to be inducted into the 7th club.
Offiong Edem
Brila
Offiong Edem is the only Nigerian table tennis player to have won a game at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She moved up seven places (123rd to 116th) in the global rankings and is ranked 3rd in Africa. Edem has featured in four (2004, 2012, 2016, and 2020) Olympics for Nigeria.
Habibat Ogunbanwo
Naija Super Fans
At just the age of 17, Habibat Ogunbawo became the 10th Nigerian to qualify for an Olympics swimming event. During the Olympics, she broke a 14-year-old National Record set by Ngozi Monu (1:00.50) after becoming the first Nigerian woman to swim under one minute (59.74s) in the 100m. Her 2:13.17 time in the 200m Freestyle also means she now holds two Nigerian Swimming Records.
Tobi Amusan
Premium Times NG
Amusan put aside her Olympic struggle to break Glory Alozie’s 22-year record at the 100m Hurdles event at the Diamond League final meet in Zurich, Switzerland on September 9, 2021. Her 12.44s time erased Alozie’s 1999 record and saw her become the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League title.
Grace Nwokocha
The Guardian NG
At the age of 20, Grace Nwokocha has established herself as one of the best Nigerian sprinters of the moment. Nwokocha became the first Nigerian athlete to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021 after posting a Personal Best of 11.09s in the women’s 100m final A of the 3rd MoC Grand Prix. Nwokocha who won Gold in the women’s 100m event at the National Sports Festival in Benin, Edo State, would go on to run a Personal Best of 11.00s at the Tokyo 2020 100m semis.
Adaora Elonu
News Basket BeAfrika
Adaora Elonu captained the Nigerian national women’s basketball team D’Tigress to glory at the 2021 FIBA Afrobasket in Cameroon. Elonu in her fourth Afrobasket tournament emerged the Most Valuable Player with an average of 10.4 points per game and 5 rebounds (per game). In the final game of the tournament, Nigeria beat Mali by 70-59 points to claim a third consecutive African title, and Elonu registered 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one block in the game held at the Palais Polyvalent des Sport, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Elizabeth Anyanacho
Despite the stress attached to studying in a Nigerian university, Elizabeth Anyanacho, a 22-year-old 400 level student of Statistics at the Federal University of Technology Owerri represented Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for the 67kg category of the women’s Taekwondo event. Her participation in the global event saw her become only the second Nigerian woman in history to feature at an Olympic Taekwondo event, and the first woman in 16 years to compete in the Olympics (Taekwondo).
Sources:
Making of Champions
Wikipedia
Punch NG
Premium Times
Vanguard NG
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