Nigerian para badminton player Mariam Eniola Bolaji on Sunday vowed to continue her quest to honour her former coach with a medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Bello Rafiu Oyebanji died in a road accident as Bolaji was preparing for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Three years later, she was unable to hide her emotions after losing her singles semi-final to Zuxian Xiao in the SL3 category for players with a slight limitation of movement on one side of the body, both legs, or no limbs.
The 18-year-old held up Oyebanji's picture before the crowd at the La Chapelle Arena who roared their support and applauded the gesture.
Moments after leaving the court, Bolaji told RFI: "He was my lead coach and he was the one that brought me to the game."
Choking back the tears, she added: "That's what I showed his picture."
Steady
The teenager entered the Paralympics in Paris as one of the favourites for the crown after victories in tournaments in Egypt and Spain.
But she went down on Sunday to Xiao who took 40 minutes to win the semi-final 21-16, 21-17.
The 28-year-old from China was steadier during the key passages of the match.
She will play the gold medal match on Monday against the top seed Qonitah Ihtiar Syakuroh from Indonesia who overpowered the Ukrainian Oksana Kozyna 21-13, 21-3.
"Xiao played the game that I wanted to play," lamented Bolaji who competed in the mixed doubles in Tokyo.
"I was weak at the end but I learned a great deal and will come back stronger."
Bolaji will play Kozyna in the match for the bronze medal on Monday.
Should she win she will be the first player from Africa to win a medal in badminton at the Paralympics or Olympics.
"I am trying to honour my coach in the way I am playing," added Bolaji. "I am good and I know he's proud of me."
Medal
Shortly after Bolaji's match with Xiao, the partisans in the stands were treated to a dominant display from second seed Lucas Mazur.
The 26-year-old Frenchman outclassed the third seed Fredy Setiawan from Indonesia to continue the defence of his SL4 crown for players with a slight limitation of movement on one side of the body, both legs, or the absence of part of a limb.
Their match finished 21-13, 21-8 and Mazur will play Setiawan's compatriot L Y Suhas who swept past another Indonesian Sukant Kadam 21-17, 21-12.
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