Maiyegun, Team Nigeria's first Olympics medalist dies at 85

Team Nigeria’s first Olympic medalist Nojim Maiyegun has died.

Maiyegun died on Monday in Vienna, Austria, where he relocated after he retired from the Nigerian Navy.

Bunmi Akande, a Nigerian based in Vienna, Austria confirmed that Baba Maiyegun as he fondly called him death was confirmed by his wife an Austrian lady. Akande also confirmed that Baba Maiyegun who was 85 at the time he died, died of natural causes.

Known to be virtually impaired for years, he was reportedly in and out of the hospital in the past six months before his death.

 Maiyegun won a bronze medal in boxing on August 10, 1964, at the Olympics in Tokyo.

He shared the bronze medal with Józef Grzesiak of Poland in the Light middleweight category.

It was the first time since Helsinki 1952 that Nigeria won a medal.

He thus ended Nigeria’s 12-year winless streak at the Olympics.