Chioma Ajunwa laughed over an event that provoked sadness recently. It was of one of her off-track experiences when she visited one of the offices of the people running sports in Nigeria. Precisely, she was at the Ministry of Sports.
She didn’t say whether it is state or federal ministry, but a sports personality such as Chioma Ajunwa needs no introduction to people in sports circles. While at the ministry, she noticed that she was not receiving the kind of attention she deserves as one of Nigeria’s most popular sports figures. This overlook happened to her in a Ministry which is supposed to be home for her.
“You don’t know Chioma Ajunwa?!” That question – her question at the development – showed that she was as bewildered as the officials she had met at ‘home’ were confused. The officials in charge of sports in Nigeria were only left wondering who she was, but Chioma didn’t say whether she was exasperated at that or not. She just found out herself, and in a very dramatic manner, that the legendary Chioma Ajunwa of Nigeria is homeless in Nigeria’s sports community.
She promptly discovered that she has no room in Nigeria’s home of sports. Chioma Ajunwa is the first Nigerian individual Olympic Games gold medallist. She won the gold medal in long jump at Atlanta in 1996.
That golden jump was the icing on the cake for her in an illustrious sports career. Before then, she had been in track and field and was a national female football team player. She was a .