- Chioma Ajunwa
-
Medal record Women's Athletics Competitor for 
NigeriaOlympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Long Jump World Indoor Championships Silver 1997 Paris Long Jump Chioma Ajunwa (born December 25, 1970 in Ahiara Mbaise Imo State), is a former athlete from Nigeria, who previously played football for the Nigerian women's team.[1] She is the first Nigerian to win an Olympic gold medal as well as the first African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. She won the women's long jump at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, with a jump of 7.12m in her first attempt in the final.[2] She was also an officer in the Nigeria Police Force at the time.
She won a gold medal in the 1991 All-Africa Games. She was banned from the sport for four years after failing a doping test in 1992.
Contents
Awards and Recognitions
Member of the Order of Niger Following her winning of Olympic gold medal at 1996 Summer Olympic Games at Atlanta, United States, Chioma Ajunwa was given a national award - Member of the Order of Niger (MON)- by the then Head of State of Nigeria Sani Abacha. The whole nation stood still and watched with joy as Chioma stepped forward to receive the award, adorning the first individual Olympic gold to be ever won by a Nigerian.
Community Chieftaincy Title Immediately after, Chioma was received by her home State - Imo State. Her community proudly bestowed on her a chieftaincy title. A rare thing for a young woman of her age!
Nigeria Golden Jubilee Independence Awards On October 1, 2010, Nigeria celebrated with funfare its 50th Independence anniversary.[3] As part of that celebration, on Thursday September 30, 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan conferred special Golden Jubilee Independence Awards on 50 distinguished Nigerians and friends of Nigeria including Chioma Ajunwa for their various roles and contributions to the development of the country. Being selected from among millions of other achievers and listed among the founding fathers of Nigerian nation, most of whom Chioma read about in History class made Chioma to say "It is the Lord's doing. I am grateful to God". This award no doubt will further intensify the patriotic fire that burns in her heart for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Appointments and Membership of Bodies
1. chairperson of the Women’s Development Committee of Imo State Football Association.[4] - 2011
2. Member of Committee on the Revival of the Nigeria Academicals Sports Competitions.[5] 2011
Chioma's Anti-Doping Activities
On Friday April 30, 2010 Chioma Ajunwa delivered a powerful paper on “War against the use of illicit Drugs in Sports” at an Interactive Session organized by Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for Athletes as part of 3rd Leg of AFN Golden League at Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex, Yaba, Lagos. The abridged version of this paper titled “Fighting the Root Causes of Doping in Athletics” is available on the cyberspace.
In the second half of the year 2010, Chioma stepped up her anti-doping activities by starting an integrated campaign aptly tagged 'Compete Fair & Clean'. This initiative which she has so far personally financed involves communicating anti-doping messages directly to budding athletes and their coaches at athletic events. Awareness and Red-flag workshops and seminars are being organised with kind cooperation of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). She also enjoys the support and solidarity of former national athletes. At athletic meets, banners are placed at stadiums and informative publications as well as t-shirts with punchy anti-doping messages are given to athletes and coaches. The response of the target audience has been massive.
See also
- List of champions of Africa of athletics
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
References
- ^ Chioma Ajunwa – FIFA competition record
- ^ "Chioma Ajunwa Biography and Statistics". Sports Reference. http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/aj/chioma-ajunwa-1.html. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ Template:Http://nigeriaat50.gov.ng/50-nigerians-were-honoured
- ^ Template:Http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2011/04/ajunwa-joins-imo-fa
- ^ Template:Http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2011/04/odegbami-heads-committee-on-revival-of-academics-sports
External links
- IAAF profile for Chioma Ajunwa
Nigeria squad – 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup 1 Chiejine • 2 Nwaiwu • 3 Ezeocha • 4 Okoroafor • 5 Branch • 6 Mbilitam • 7 Ajunwa • 8 Nwadike • 9 Ngozi Uche • 10 Ogun • 11 Igunbor • 12 Omagbemi • 13 Okosieme • 14 Ebimiekumo • 15 Mukoro • 16 Koyonda • 17 Eluma • 18 Yamala • Coach: Bonfrere
Olympic Champions in Women's Long Jump 1948: Olga Gyarmati (HUN) · 1952: Yvette Williams (NZL) · 1956: Elżbieta Krzesińska (POL) · 1960: Vera Krepkina (URS) · 1964: Mary Rand (GBR) · 1968: Viorica Viscopoleanu (ROU) · 1972: Heide Rosendahl (FRG) · 1976: Angela Voigt (GDR) · 1980: Tatyana Kolpakova (URS) · 1984: Anişoara Cuşmir-Stanciu (ROU) · 1988: Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) · 1992: Heike Drechsler (GER) · 1996: Chioma Ajunwa (NGR) · 2000: Heike Drechsler (GER) · 2004: Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS) · 2008: Maurren Maggi (BRA)
1965: Alice Anum (NGR) • 1973 – 1978: Modupe Oshikoya (NGR) • 1987: Beatrice Utondu (NGR) • 1991: Chioma Ajunwa (NGR) • 1995: Eunice Barber (SLE) • 1999: Grace Umelo (NGR) • 2003: Esther Aghatise (NGR) • 2007: Janice Josephs (RSA) • 2011: Blessing Okagbare (NGR)
Categories:- 1970 births
- Living people
- Nigerian long jumpers
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes of Nigeria
- Olympic gold medalists for Nigeria
- Nigerian sportspeople in doping cases
- Doping cases in athletics
- Nigerian women's footballers
- Nigeria women's international footballers
- Olympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
