Nojim Maiyegun, Nigeria’s pioneering Olympic medalist and renowned former boxer, has passed away at the age of 83. The news of his death was shared by close confidante Rudolfine F. Soultan through a poignant Facebook post on Monday.
Soultan’s post read: “My Jimmy died. I can’t say more about this right now because it’s just horrible. The day after tomorrow, we would have been together for 17 years.”
According to reports from The Cable, Maiyegun died on Monday morning at his home in Vienna, Austria, after battling an undisclosed illness for several months.
Maiyegun made history at the age of 23 by winning Nigeria’s first Olympic medal—a bronze—in the light-heavyweight boxing category at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His historic run included a remarkable victory over Great Britain’s William Robinson in just one minute and 59 seconds during the second round, and triumphs over Denmark’s Tom Bogs in the quarter-finals. He was defeated by France’s Joseph Gonzalez in the semi-finals, securing a bronze medal alongside Poland’s Józef Grzesiak.
In 1966, Maiyegun added to his accolades with another bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.
Following his successful amateur career, Maiyegun transitioned to professional boxing in 1971. Over his professional career, he fought 16 times, winning 12 of those matches, with 10 victories coming by knockout.
Maiyegun’s legacy as a trailblazer in Nigerian sports and his contributions to boxing will be remembered and celebrated.
