Nigerian para badminton player Mariam Eniola Bolaji, aged 18, has pledged to honor her late coach, Bello Rafiu Oyebanji, by winning a medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Despite her emotional performance, she lost her semi-final match to China's Zuxian Xiao, concluding with scores of 21-16, 21-17, after previously making history as the first African para-athlete to reach the semi-finals. Bolaji had earlier triumphed over Mandeep Kaur of India in the quarter-finals and had strong victories in the group stage. She will compete for the bronze medal against Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyna, which would mark a significant achievement as the first African to medal in badminton at the Paralympics or Olympics. Bolaji's journey has been fueled by the dedication to her late coach, and she aims to fulfill his dream by standing on the podium.