Olasunkanmi Majekodunmi, father of Nigeria’s silver medalist Hafson Majekodunmi, has expressed pride in his daughter’s achievement at the ongoing U-18 and U-20 Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Championships, despite initially wishing she pursued a different path.
Hafson clinched silver in the U-18 women’s 400m final, clocking a time of 54.34 seconds while representing Nigeria in her debut international outing.
Speaking with newsmen after the race, her father revealed he had once hoped she would become a lawyer due to his own lack of formal education.
“I wanted her to become a lawyer because I didn’t have the chance to go to school. But I thank her mother because they often connived—she would sneak off to the stadium with her bag without my knowledge,” he said.
Majekodunmi first discovered his daughter’s passion for athletics during an inter-house sports event at Abeokuta Grammar School but became fully convinced of her potential during her performance at the recent National Sports Festival in Ogun.
“That was when her coach convinced me to allow her to continue. I had concerns, especially because she is a girl, but today, I thank God. I’m proud she has projected me in a positive light,” he added.
He urged parents to allow their children to follow their passion.
‘Chioma Told Me Not to Be Scared’ – Hafson Reflects on Debut Performance
In a post-race interview, Hafson credited her teammate and gold medalist, Nwachukwu Chioma, for helping boost her morale ahead of the race.
“I was really intimidated at first. In the call room, I told her, ‘Chioma, I’m scared because of these people.’ But she told me, ‘You can do it. Just follow me. I’ll lead, and you stay right behind.’ That really lifted me.”
Despite nerves from competing in her first international meet, Hafson said the experience has strengthened her determination.
“The crowd didn’t affect me much. The crowd at the National Sports Festival was even louder, but representing Nigeria for the first time made it overwhelming. Now, I’m motivated to train harder and do even better in the future,” she said.