Badminton
Taraba Badminton holds grassroots training in Jalingo
Taraba Sports Council has held a three day badminton training for game masters, game mistresses, and secondary school students in Jalingo.
The event was held at the indoor sports hall of the Jolly Nyame Stadium.
The training event was geared towards providing secondary school teachers and students access to learn basic skills of the game of badminton, as part of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) goal of promoting grassroots development of badminton in Nigeria.
The training event was organized by Taraba Badminton and powered by CSED (Community Sport and Educational Development) Initiative, as part of their two years’ grassroots development partnership with the BFN.
The Taraba State Director of Sports Council, George Shitta who doubles as a board member of BFN, led six other badminton instructors that taught the students and teachers the theory and practical aspects of badminton.
The training event was attended by 80 students drawn from 18 secondary schools. Twenty-four game masters and game mistresses also attended the training event.
While speaking to sports journalists at the end of the training event, Shitta stated that an event of this nature is aimed at taking badminton to young secondary school students, encourage them to enjoy combining sports with their education, as well as supporting their development into future badminton players that will represent the state and Nigeria.
He gave as example, Jimkan Ephraim an indigene of Taraba State who used to be a former African badminton number 1 player.
Some of the students were happy to learn from the experience of Jimkan Ephraim, who also attended the training event.
Shitta commended the gesture of CSED Initiative for collaborating with Taraba Badminton and for their decision to select Taraba State as one of the states that will in future benefit from its “PROJECT 2027” programme, which is aimed at developing the game of grassroots netball in Nigeria.
Shitta further disclosed that CSED Initiative donated 60 badminton rackets, 18 tubes of shuttlecocks, and 17 nets which were later distributed to the schools that attended the training event.
He promised to complement the gesture of CSED Initiative by organizing an inter-school badminton tournament in future, between the schools that participated in the training event.
In an interview, the Director of Sports, Taraba state ministry for Basic and secondary education, Affos Musa Emmanuel promised to liaise with the Director of Taraba Sports Council, in order to get some coaches to go round the schools that participated in the training event with a view of these coaches providing additional onsite training that will support the teachers and students in the practicing of their new badminton knowledge.
Some of the pupils who participated in the training, Ruth Andoor (13 years old) from Government Technical Training School (GTTS) Jalingo, Emmanuel George Shitta (11 years old) from Destiny Success Academy, and Anna Sylvester Jabire (15 years old) from Raddar Metropolitan School Jalingo, stated that by attending the training, they have gained more knowledge of the game of badminton.
Also Victoria Edoche (13 years old) from Our Lady of Consolation, Telltuly Calib Jibril (13 years old), and Ayaungwa Wisdom (13 years old) from Heritage Academy described the training event as being impactful and they promised to be more committed during their future badminton training.
One of the instructors that trained the students and teachers, Emmanuel Sambo said the training will go a long way in encouraging the young talents to become badminton champions in future.
He urged the Taraba State government to pay attention to the sports sector in order to improve its internally generated revenue. The event ended with the presentation of rackets, tubes of shuttlecocks and nets to the representative of the participating schools.
The Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) has continued its nationwide grassroots development drive with a two-day outreach training held in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
Organised in collaboration with the Adamawa State Sports Council, the State Ministry of Education, and the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), Adamawa chapter, the training took place on 24 and 25 September 2025 at the General Murtala Mohammed College hall.
A total of 20 Physical Education teachers and 80 secondary school students from the Yola area participated in the intensive programme, which aimed to introduce badminton to schools and promote the sport at the grassroots level.
The training was facilitated by a team of five coaches led by George Shitta, who also serves as the Director of Sports at the Taraba State Sports Commission. Participants were taken through the fundamentals of badminton, including grip techniques, footwork, serving, stroke execution, game strategy, and proper warm-up routines.
According to the organisers, the programme was part of the BFN’s ongoing partnership with the Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative, which has supported similar “Shuttle Time” and “Outreach Badminton Training” sessions across the country over the past three years. These sessions are designed to help teachers and students learn the game together while fostering teamwork, discipline, and social development.
The trainees actively engaged with the coaches — asking questions, sharing experiences, and demonstrating newly acquired skills. At the end of the programme, each participating school received badminton kits, including rackets, shuttlecocks, and nets, to help sustain practice beyond the training.
The Director of the Adamawa State Sports Council, Mr. Daniel Ahmed, graced the event, while the lead facilitator, George Shitta, paid courtesy visits to key education stakeholders — Hajiya Aisha M. Umar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, and Birsan Panuel, Executive Secretary of the Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB).
Organisers described the initiative as a model of effective collaboration among sports authorities, education agencies, and development partners — a partnership they hope will continue to enhance both the academic and athletic growth of teachers, coaches, and students in Adamawa State.
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The curtain fell on the 8th Lagos International Badminton Classics at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Saturday, with host nation Nigeria making the podium and the event earning praise as a model for sports tourism in Africa.
Though global heavyweights dominated the finals, Nigeria’s Obanisola and her partner gave the home crowd reason to cheer by clinching bronze in the Women’s Doubles, ensuring the green and white were represented on the podium.
Elsewhere, India’s S. Lele defended her Women’s Singles crown with a 21-15, 21-17 victory over compatriot Kashyap, while Russia’s neutral duo Alimov and Ogloblin sealed Men’s Doubles gold against UAE’s Ravikrishna and Rimdahoi.
Tournament organizers hailed the event as a resounding success. “The Lagos International Badminton Classics has once again proven that Nigeria is ready to host world-class sporting events,” said Francis Orbih, President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN). “We are building a brand that showcases Africa’s talent, hospitality, and passion for badminton.”
With $17,500 prize money shared among winners and athletes praising the hospitality of Lagos, the championship reaffirmed Nigeria’s growing profile as a hub for global sports. The 9th edition in 2026 promises an even bigger spectacle.
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Indonesia stamped their authority on the 8th Lagos International Badminton Classics, turning the Teslim Balogun Stadium into a stage of triumph as they swept multiple gold medals on the final day of action.
From the opening Mixed Doubles clash to the showpiece Men’s Singles final, the Southeast Asian powerhouse asserted its dominance.
The pair of Prasetyo and Munggaren set the tone by defeating India’s Ravat and Maneesha 21-15, 21-17, before P. Shujiwo powered past Japan’s M. Koga 21-15, 21-17 in a pulsating Men’s Singles final.
The Indonesians celebrate in style
The Women’s Doubles final confirmed Indonesia’s superiority, with Meida and Nastine dispatching UAE’s Quathun and Sreejithparol in just 25 minutes (21-18, 21-7), the shortest contest of the evening.
The highlight of the celebrations came as Indonesia’s national anthem echoed repeatedly through the Okoya Thomas Indoor Hall, with Ambassador Bambang Suharto personally presenting the Men’s Singles trophy to Shujiwo — a moment that underscored the national pride attached to the victories.
With three golds and several silver finishes, Indonesia emerged as the undisputed star nation of Africa’s premier badminton competition.
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