I’ll encourage my triplets to do sports – Ajunwa

Former Olympics long jump gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa has disclosed that her joy of giving birth to a set of triplets will be complete if in the future, the kids follow in her footsteps and make a name for themselves in the area of sports.

Chioma Ajunwa

Forty one-year old Ajunwa who gave birth to the triplets after over a decade of childless marriage on September 3, 2012 said for her it was like winning another Olympics gold against all odds. And as she nurses her babies, two boys and a girl, all she could wish for, is that they will bestrode the sports turf with all grace and splendor like she did.

“Most definitely, I want to see my kids participate in sports when they grow up. It is in the genes, so I will do everything I can to encourage them.

“Perhaps one will be a long jumper, another a sprinter and then the third a footballer,” said Ajunwa, who had a bit of all the three disciplines.

Ajunwa still holds the African long jump record at 7.12m, which was her winning jump at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. She was also a recognized sprinter and a footballer and a member of the Nigerian women’s team to the maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup in China in1991.

Her delivery of  triplets was quite a surprise to many of her admirers. While some rejoiced and wished her well, others doubted her claims. This only left Ajunwa sad most especially, after an evening tabloid published an unflattering story concerning the births.

“They claimed that I adopted the babies. This is not true. I genuinely gave birth to my babies; records are there to show. They came to me to say that it was because I wasn’t forthcoming with an interview, that I should have come out to announce to the world that I was pregnant,” Ajunwa said.