Badminton
How a refugee fled Iran for her love of badminton
On a rainy November morning in 2018, 15-year-old Dorsa Yavarivafa and her mother left Tehran for Turkey with fake German passports – the first thing she grabbed when she was told they were leaving at 4 a.m. was her badminton bag.
The pair flew a month later to Germany, then to Belgium and eventually to France. Yavarivafa would be jailed three times — once entirely alone for a day, crying and taken from her mother — before she made it to Birmingham, England at the end of 2019 and finally found a home.
She said she fled her country for two reasons: her mother wanted to change her religion and Yavarivafa had repeatedly been rejected by the national badminton team without being told why.
“I was really scared because I didn’t know what was going to happen to me,” said Yavarivafa, who will turn 21 in July while competing at the Paris 2024 Games as part of the largest refugee Olympic team to date, with 36 athletes from 11 countries.
“I didn’t know where I was going. My mum just said we were going to go to another country, but she never told me how or where,” Yavarivafa added.
“It was all worth it. Now, that I think back about it — all that suffering is over so I’m really happy now.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced its first refugee team at the Rio 2016 Games with 10 athletes to raise awareness of the issue as hundreds of thousands of people were pouring into Europe from the Middle East and elsewhere escaping conflict and poverty.
“(My parents) were really proud when we heard that I got accepted,” Yavarivafa said. “We were all crying… just really a relief, a relief of anxiety.”
Yavarivafa was introduced to the sport by her father, who sells car parts and stayed in Iran in case his wife and daughter needed to go back.
“He did come here about six months ago. That’s where I saw him after five years,” she said. “It was such an emotional moment — saw him in the airport, crying with excitement.”
Yavarivafa has been playing badminton for a decade, but began training seriously when she was 11-years-old.
“I started to win a lot of tournaments in Iran,” Yavarivafa said. “That’s where I took it seriously and I watched a lot of badminton. I got inspired by a lot of people – one of them is (Spain’s) Carolina Marin.”
Yavarivafa said her former coach put her in touch with Beijing 2008 Olympian Kaveh Mehrabi of Iran, who helped her apply to be a part of the Refugee Athlete Scholarship programme.
The 20-year-old is now studying sports and exercise science at Middlesex University in London and trains three times a week at the Sankey Academy, an independent badminton club in Milton Keynes.
Yavarivafa hopes to “get a lot of experience” in Paris and talk to her idols, including Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallist Marin, who beat India’s PV Sindhu 19-21 21-12 21-15. Marin had to pull out of the Tokyo 2020 Games after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
When asked what it meant to be part of the refugee team, Yavarivafa said she has a message for the world’s 100 million refugees: “You’re not alone… It doesn’t matter where you come from. Doesn’t matter where are you living now, dreams come true.”
“Not many people look at us as a normal people,” Yavarivafa added. “We are normal. We are normal people like everyone else.”
-Reuters
Francis Orbih has been re-elected President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) for a third consecutive term, emerging unopposed at the federation’s elective congress held in Abuja.
Orbih secured all 13 votes cast during the congress, which took place at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium on Monday, March 2. Adamu Alhaji Lawan was also elected as Vice President.
In his acceptance speech, Orbih congratulated the newly elected board members and expressed confidence in their ability to collectively move Nigerian badminton to greater heights.
“I want to congratulate the entire board member and I am confident that we are going to deliver,” Orbih said.
“There is a lot of work to be done. We have had humble achievements in the past. It is time for us to build on what we have achieved and consolidate to take the Federation to greater heights.”
Calling for unity and collaboration, Orbih urged stakeholders to play active roles in strengthening the federation’s programmes and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.
“I am counting on all of you to have your hands on deck because I cannot do it alone. Let us join hands to take the Federation to a level where we’ll be the envy of other sporting federations in Nigeria,” he added. “We have work to do. Whatever you can contribute to the growth and development of the Federation.”
During the inauguration of the new board, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, congratulated Orbih on his re-election and commended the federation for conducting a crisis-free electoral process.
National Sports Commission chairman, Shehu Dikko adresses the new board of the BFN
“I want to congratulate the board members for unanimously re-electing Francis Orbih and having a crisis-free election,” Dikko said.
He urged the president to consolidate on the gains recorded during his previous tenures and to intensify efforts over the next four years.
“Orbih has done well and deserves to be re-elected as a member of the African and World body. He has taken on huge debt by presenting himself as President of BFN, and he doesn’t have any other choice than to continue his good works,” Dikko added.
Orbih’s re-election is expected to provide continuity in the federation’s administration as it seeks to expand grassroots development, improve Nigeria’s international competitiveness and strengthen its presence within continental and global badminton bodies.
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The 2019 Africa Women in Badminton Award winner, Oby Solaja, has been returned for another four-year tenure in the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), reaffirming her enduring influence in the sport’s development.
Solaja’s re-election came during the BFN zonal election held in Enugu, where she emerged as the representative for the South East zone. Delegates affirmed her return in recognition of what officials described as her meritorious contributions to grassroots badminton development across the region.
A former multiple African champion, Solaja was among the global pioneering badminton players to feature at the Olympic Games, carving her name into the sport’s history before transitioning into administration.
Oby Solaja receives a new mandate to contribute to the development of badminton in Nigeria.
After retiring from competitive play, she equipped herself for sports governance by completing the six-module sports administration programme for the CIES/FIFA diploma at Cairo University — a move that strengthened her credentials in sports organisation and leadership.
Grassroots Focus in the Southeast
Over the past four years, Solaja has championed badminton development in Southeastern Nigeria through an annual championship organised in partnership with the Bet9ja Foundation. The tournament, held on a rotational basis across states in the region, has provided a competitive platform for emerging talents and reinforced grassroots participation.
Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Lloyd Ikechukwu Ekweremadu chats with the Southeast Badminton Championship Convener, Oby Edoga-Solaja
Her efforts have been widely credited with expanding the sport’s reach and encouraging youth engagement in badminton within the zone.
Speaking after her confirmation, Solaja pledged renewed vigour in spreading what she described as the “gospel of badminton,” emphasising continuity, talent discovery and structured development pathways.
She also expressed appreciation to Kunle Soname, whose Bet9ja Foundation has supported the propagation of badminton in the Southeast.
With her fresh mandate, stakeholders expect Solaja to consolidate existing programmes while strengthening institutional structures within the federation — a continuation of a journey that began on the court and now thrives in the boardroom.
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The Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) has etched its name in Nigerian sporting history after its para-badminton star, Eniola Bolaji, rose to World No. 1 in the women’s SL3 category, thus becoming the first athlete under any affiliate of the National Sports Commission to attain the top spot in global rankings.
The latest rankings released on Tuesday, February 17, by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirmed Bolaji’s ascent to the summit following her historic silver medal finish at the 2026 World Para Badminton Championship in Bahrain.
Historic Rise After World Championship Silver
Bolaji secured her place in history after advancing to the final of the global showpiece, held at the New Capital Hall in Bahrain on February 14. She eventually fell 2–0 (21–12, 21–17) to Japan’s world No. 7, Shino Kawai, but her runner-up finish earned her enough ranking points to dethrone Indonesia’s Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh as world number one.
In the process, Bolaji also became the first African athlete to win a silver medal at the World Para Badminton Championship. This is a milestone that underscores Nigeria’s growing footprint in para-sports.
Her ranking surge was further strengthened by her triumph at the Egypt International in January, where she successfully defended her title for the second consecutive year.
Landmark Moment for Nigerian Sport
President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Francis Orbih, described Bolaji’s achievement as a defining moment for Nigerian and African sports.
“This is the biggest news of the year, Eniola Bolaji claiming the World No. 1 spot following her participation in the 2024 Paralympic Games. She would likely have attained this position earlier if she had competed in more tournaments last year,” Orbih said.
“She regained full stability last season and has carried that momentum into this year, already featuring in two major tournaments with outstanding performances.”
Bolaji’s achievement places the BFN ahead of other federations under the National Sports Commission in producing a world number one athlete, which is a testament to what observers describe as deliberate investment, structured athlete development, and sustained technical support within the federation.
Powered by GIG, Eniola Bolaji has attained an enviable height
Structured Support Paying Dividends
Orbih credited the progress of para-badminton in Nigeria to coordinated backing from multiple stakeholders.
“This achievement is also a testament to the support and resources committed to para badminton by the National Sports Commission, the Abia State Government, and GIG Logistics. Their continued backing has created the enabling environment for our athletes to train, compete, and excel on the global stage,” he noted.
Despite narrowly missing out on gold in Bahrain, the BFN President praised Bolaji’s resilience and consistency at the elite level.
“I know many Nigerians were expecting another gold medal, but we must recognise that other players are equally determined to dethrone her. She has now become the first African to win a silver medal at the Para-Badminton World Championship,” Orbih added.
A New Benchmark for Nigerian Federations
Bolaji’s ascent to the top of the global rankings marks more than a personal triumph; it signals a structural breakthrough for Nigerian sport.
For decades, Nigerian athletes have achieved continental dominance and occasional global podium finishes, but reaching World No. 1 status — particularly in a ranking-driven sport governed by transparent international metrics — represents a new benchmark.
As Bolaji prepares for upcoming tournaments, the federation has pledged continued technical and logistical support to sustain her dominance.
With a World No. 1 athlete now flying Nigeria’s flag, the Badminton Federation of Nigeria has set a new standard — not only for para-sport development, but for all federations under the National Sports Commission aspiring to global excellence.
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