Badminton

OVER 150 PLAYERS STORM KATSINA WEDNESDAY FOR FIRST BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIP IN FIVE YEARS

Published

6 years ago

November 8, 2017

Over 150 badminton players across Nigeria are gathered for the first edition of Katsina Golden Star National Badminton Championship. As the president of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Francis Orbih, has put it, this is technically the first national badminton championship in Nigeria for many years.

He explained that other badminton contests have either been international classics, as it had happened in Lagos on three occasions, or badminton events of other fiestas like the National Sports Festival or the National Youth Festival.

“The current board is trying to revive the culture of having badminton competitions across the country to aid development of the sport and also assist in ranking of our players”, Orbih once remarked to Sports Village Square. The Katsina championship is just the first leg of a back-to-back event as the train will next week move to Lagos for another national badminton fiesta.

“The players will be gainfully engaged with all these activities”, Obiageli Solaja another board member told Sports Village Square. She remains one of the faces of badminton exploits in the country having been national and African ladies champions for years.

The Kaduna tournament is for four days and has brought joy to players in the country who have not played a national championship in over four years.

Peace Orji, a Kaduna State badminton player told www.badmintonnigeria.org that she hailed the vision of the new board led by Francis Orbih stating that badminton is about to be ranked among the popular sports in the country.

‘It is a bold move by the Francis Orbih-led board to have two championships this month. Many of the players have stopped playing owing to lack of tournaments, but the Katsina Golden Star National Badminton Championship will bring fresh hope for badminton in Nigeria’

Also, Lagos based Opeyori Anu; a winner earlier this year at Abidjan tournament, expressed excitement at the forthcoming back-to-back championships.

‘The last time we hosted a championship was 2013 in Abuja and since then nothing has come up. Now we have not just one, but two championships coming up in November. This makes it more exciting than ever.

“More tournaments, more experience to gather and more motivation for the nation as a whole”, he concluded.

One of the exciting players to watch in the country, Godwin Olofua said he can’t wait to arrive in Katsina for the championship which starts this Wednesday.

Olofua is however motivated with the prospect of playing in front of his family and friends when the Mutual Benefits Assurance backed Lagos Badminton National Championship holds from Wednesday to Saturday.

The Lagos based player who is likened to former world number one player Chong Wei of Malaysia because of his style of play, said he has been preparing day and night for the championships.

“I am excited because what we have been praying for as players are for championships like these. Since we have not had national championships in Nigeria since 2013 it has affected the players psychologically.

“I must commend the board led by Francis Orbih for coming up with the 1^st Katsina Golden Star National Badminton Championship and the 1st Mutual Benefits 2017 Assurance Badminton Championship which will hold in Lagos”.

Badminton

Nigeria’s Mariam Bolaji wins at 2024 Spanish Para Badminton International

Published

24 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria Para Badminton star, Mariam Eniola Bolaji has won the women’s singles SL3 title at the just concluded Spanish Para Badminton International 2024 in Victoria, Spain.

The world number 10 overwhelmed world number 6 Oksana Kozyna from Ukraine 2-0 (21-13, 21-8) to clinch the gold medal over the weekend.

Bolaji had defeated world number 13 Emona Ivanova (Bulgaria) 2-0 (21-4, 21-8) to set up a clash with the 2023 silver medallist in the finals.

In round two, Mariam Bolaji defeated India’s Mandeep Kaur Mandeep, seeded number one 2-0 (21-10, 21-8). Earlier, Bolaji beat Victoria Bailey of England 2-0 (21-5, 21-4) in round one of the 2024 Spanish International.

The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Francis Orbih expressed delight over the latest victory of gold medallist, Mariam Eniola Bolaji.

Orbih said Eniola’s performance has been encouraging, adding that she has become a force in world Para Badminton.

He said, “I am excited Mariam Eniola Bolaji has won her second Spanish International since making her debut in 2021. Bolaji won her first gold medal in 2021 and made history in 2024 by winning the gold medal against highly experienced Oksana Kozyna. Kozyna (World number 6) who had a better edge looking at the statistics because she placed second in 2023 but Bolaji showed class in the final with her spectacular performance in the final.

“On behalf of the Badminton community, I want to commend Bolaji for her dedication. Determination and zeal. Her performance has been encouraging since she broke into the limelight and she has become a force to reckon with.

“The Paris Paralympic Games is fast approaching and the Federation will do everything within its powers to see that she gets adequate attention because she stands a better chance of winning a medal for Nigeria”.

Badminton

Gold, Silver And Bronze Medals Certain For Nigeria In Badminton Men’s Singles Event! –

Published

1 month ago

March 10, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Anuoluwapo Opeyori Wins Nigeria’s First Gold Medal At African Games -

It is already given and merely awaiting to be stamped. Nigeria will win the two top positions of the men’s singles event of the 13^th African Games’ badminton.

Thanks to the great efforts of Anuoluwapo Opeyori who defied the stiff opposition by Egypt’s Ahdam Abdelhalim to win a tough semi-final match by 2-1.

It is not the first time that Opeyori will overcome the Egyptian in the same fashion of coming from a game behind.

He did it in 2020 at the third place match of the African Championship at the Cairo Stadium Hall 2.

By his current performance, Opeyori has set up a final match with his compatriot and usual doubles partner, Godwin Olofua in the final match later in the day.

What a dramatic event! The match-up is a repeat of the All African championship held in Port Harcourt in 2019 when the duo played the final match.

For Olofua who is Qatar based, this is an opportunity for him to revenge his loss to Opeyori. Both players are well known to one another.

No matter the result, Nigeria will be the winner.

Olofua is in the title match after overcoming compatriot, Victor Ikechukwu in an all-Nigeria semi-final contest.

Badminton

Nigeria Shines At Badminton Championship In Cairo; Anu Retains African Title –

Published

2 months ago

February 19, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria Shines At Badminton Championship In Cairo; Anu Retains African Title -

Nigeria’s team at the just concluded All Africa Senior Badminton Championship, Cairo 2024, claimed seven medals with the country’s number one badminton player, Anuoluwapo Opeyori clinching his fifth African title and the third back to back.

Anuoluwapo had earlier won the All Africa Senior Championships Men’s Singles title in Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 2019, the All Africa Games MS title in Morocco in 2019, the All Africa Senior Championships MS title in Uganda 2022, the All Africa Senior Championships in South Africa 2023 and now in Egypt 2024.

Nigeria’s male team in the team event narrowly lost to Algeria in the Finals even after securing the first two of five games, thereby settling for Silver. The Women’s team picked a valuable bronze after losing the Semifinals to the Ugandan Women’s team.

In the Individual event, Nigeria’s Wonder Boy, Anuoluwapo Opeyori stormed through to the finals by beating compatriot Victor Ikechukwu 21-13, 19-21, 21-9 to rekindle an old rivalry with Mauritian Georges Julien Paul where he again asserted his dominance by beating Paul 23-21, 11-21, 21-16 to take the coveted MS crown for the third time in a row and his fifth African title.

The relatively new pair of Yunusa Momoh Godwin Olofua did the country proud by beating Mauritius players, Melvin Appiah and Tejraj Pultoo 21-17, 21-15 to reach the Finals. They were, however, unable to subdue the duo of Africa’s number one pair of Algeria’s Kociela Mammeri and Sabri Medel, thereby losing 12-21, 8-21 to clinch the Silver in the Men’s Doubles event.

In the Women’s Doubles, Nigeria’s Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan paired with a new partner, Sofiyat Obanishola to lose out narrowly to Ugandan’s Husina Kobugabe and Gladys Mbabazi 21-18, 19-21, 18-21 after fighting gallantly in the Semifinals to get a spot on the podium for the bronze medal.

In the Mixed Doubles event, yet another fresh pair of Aliyu Alhaji Shehu and Deborah Ukeh-Divine lost the Semifinal match to home team of Adham Hatem Gamel and Doha Hany of Egypt 9-21, 12-21 (0-2) to take the bronze medal for their efforts.

In all, Nigeria was able to take home an impressive total of 1 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals for relatively new pairs in all the doubles categories.

President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Francis Orbih,Esq, expressed his appreciation for the performance of the Team Nigeria contingent and lamented the loss in the Finals of the Men’s Team events.

“We were so close after getting the first 2 games in our favour, but we understand that in games as in life, anything can happen. We are grateful to and appreciative of our players and their performances”, Francis said.

He also appreciated the Hon. Minister for Sport Development, Hon John Enoh for the Ministry’s support for the team.

He promised that the board would continue to support players in all categories and at all levels.

Francis further stressed the plans of the badminton board to immediately resume preparations for the upcoming badminton event at All Africa Games holding in Ghana from the 3rd to 10th March 2024.