Nigeria's First Olympic Medalist, Nojim Maiyegun, Passes Away.

Nojim Maiyegun, Nigeria's first-ever Olympic medalist, has passed away. The news was revealed on Monday by Rudolfine Soultan, an Austria-based acquaintance of the late athlete, through a heartfelt Facebook post.

In her post, Soultan, who referred to Maiyegun affectionately as "Jimmy," expressed her grief, saying, "My Jimylein (Jimmy) is dead. I can't say more about this right now because it's just horrible. By the day after tomorrow, we would have been together for 17 years."

A review of Maiyegun’s Facebook activity, dated August 29, 2023, showed him marking their 16 years together, posting a picture of himself with Soultan.

Earlier, on July 14, 2024, Soultan had shared a concerning update about Maiyegun’s health. She wrote, "Happy birthday, dear Amin. Unfortunately, we celebrate without Jimmy and not much, because he was admitted to the hospital again today. I always go with the rescue and stay with him for a few more hours."

Born on February 17, 1941, in Lagos State, Maiyegun made history as Nigeria's first Olympic medalist, securing a bronze medal in the men's light middleweight (71kg) category at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.