September 18, (THEWILL) – Nigerian Army veteran, Peacemaker Azuegbulam, made history this week as the first competitor from an African nation to win gold at the Invictus Games.
The event for wounded and injured service personnel saw Azuegbulam triumph in the 69kg powerlifting category. The 27-year-old suffered life-changing injuries serving in northeast Nigeria, where he was fighting Boko Haram militants. Despite losing a leg, Azuegbulam spoke of his pride at representing Nigeria in Dusseldorf.
“I made my country proud. I made Africa proud,” he remarked. This was Nigeria’s debut appearance at the games founded by Prince Harry. The team of 10 was the brainchild of British Army veteran Derrick Cobbinah. He has been working to expand participation across Africa.
Cobbinah said limited facilities for disabled sports recovery on the continent had proved a challenge. However, he praised Nigeria’s military chief for ensuring the team was ready and for contributing to their historic run.
Azuegbulam now hopes his gold medal can inspire other nations. “I would like to meet some other persons from around the country and from Africa,” he said. The games proved pivotal to his own recovery. “It’s put a smile on my face,” said Azuegbulam.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
