Paris 2024 Paralympics: Ogunkunle becomes Nigeria’s first para table tennis medalist in 24 years

Isau Ogunkunle became the first Nigerian to win win a medal at Paralympics in 24 years after winning the bronze medal at the 2024 event in Paris on Saturday, Afrosport reports.

Nigeria has a solid history in this event with two gold medals and three bronze medals in the past after making their debut just in 1996.

Yet, since 2000 when Tajudeen Agunbiade and Femi Alabi won a bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 paralympics, Nigeria had failed to secure a medal.

Ogunkunle, who made it to the semi-finals, lost 3-1 to world number two Young-Gun of South Korea.

He won the first set by 11-9 but the Korean made a comeback in the subsequent sets beating him 5-11 and 4-11 in the next sets and edging him out in the final round tie breaker 13-11.

The rules of para table tennis dictate that both losers of the semi-final competitions would not need a decider as both would be getting individual bronze medals for their efforts.