Badminton
MUTUAL BENEFITS BADMINTON ENTERS FINAL STAGE
The 3rd Mutual Benefits National Badminton Championship holding at the Mutual Benefit / Police College Badminton Hall in Ikeja, Lagos entered it’s 3rd day on Friday with some of the outcomes failing to click to predictions.
In the Men’s Singles event, in what has become a sort of the championship’s tradition, Nigeria’s and Africa’s number 1, Anuoluwapo Opeyori squares up against traditional rival and Nigeria’s Nigeria number 2 and Africa’s number 3 Men’s Singles player, Godwin Olufua in an all-Lagos state Finals.
Anu had earlier breezed past Babatunde Bankole, a young junior international player from Ogun state in the Quarter Finals stage and Isaac Minaphee of Rivers state to book a place at the Finals, while Godwin Olufua defeated Ahmad B.Umar, the Captain of Nigeria’s Junior National team, Bauchi state player at the Quarter Finals and Aliyu Shehu of Niger state to set up a rematch of the championship’s MS Finals.
In the Women’s Singles category, African reigning Queen of badminton and Nigeria’s Number One Women’s Singles player, Dorcas Adesokan of Ogun State defeated Grace Gabriel of Plateau state in the Semifinals to reach the Finals of the category while Ruth Ebere of Katsina state defeated Deborah Ukeh Divine of Edo state to set up a Finals clash with Adesokan. Worthy of note is the successful comeback bid of the sensational Grace Gabriel who was Nigeria’s former Number One Women Singles player who has had a very long layoff for academic reasons. Getting to the Semifinals stage and indeed winning a joint third spot is highly commendable as well as exciting.
Another noteworthy aspect of the Semifinals is this being the first time that Deborah Ukeh-Divine has not qualified for the Finals of the Mutual Benefits meet.
The Men’s Doubles finals is an exciting match of Young Blood vs Experience as the African /Nigerian Number One MD pair of Anuoluwapo Opeyori /Godwin Olufua (Lagos) prepare to lock horns with the pair of Eneojo Joseph Abah/ Isaac Minaphee (Rivers).
Anu O./Godwin O. dispatched the upcoming pair of Ahmad B.Umar/ AbdulHameed M.Waleed of Bauchi state while E.Abah /I.Minaphee (Rivers) had to rest the young pair of Tunde Bankole/Simeon Idowu (Ogun) to reach the Finals.
The Women’s Doubles event produced a hitherto “unknown” pair of Zainab D.Alabi / Sofiyat O.Obanishola (Kwara) in the Finals after defeating a formidable pair of Tosin Atolagbe-Davies / Zainab Momoh. The exciting part of this pair is that they are both Junior National Team members.
Sofiyat is the youngest member the Team Nigeria Badminton team to the All African Games in Morocco a few weeks back, where she posted a superlative performance to clinch a valuable bronze in the WS event of the Individual Championship.
They meet Ogun’s pair of Dorcas A./Asisat Ogunkanbi (Ogun) who qualified at the expense of Deborah U./Peace Orji-Abah whom they edged out.
The Mixed Doubles event Finals will see the tussle between Africa’s Number Two Mixed Doubles Team, which is also Nigeria’s Number One, Eneojo Joseph Abah, the friendly and respected Captain of the Senior National Team and his beautiful wife/partner, Peace Orji-Abah against the pair of FCT’s Yunusa Momoh/Ramatu Yakubu.
Yunusa M./Ramatu Y. had earlier overran Jovita Anikwe / Q.Chibuzor of Anambra state at the Semifinals while Eneojo J.A./ Peace Orji-Abah had stopped Niger state’s pair of Aliyu Shehu/M.Mohammed to raise expectations of retaining their position.
Overall, the level of the game has risen exponentially over the last year and newcomers are knocking on the doors of those considered traditional winners of some categories.
The Finals will expectedly start on Saturday at 10am while the closing ceremony starts at 2pm.
For the second time, a Nigerian has been named the recipient of the Africa Women in Badminton Award (AWIBA), as Paralympic bronze medallist Eniola Bolaji is the 2024 winner.
Before then, another Nigerian, Obiageli Solaja, won the 2019 edition, making the country the first to win twice and underlining the growth of badminton in the country.
The award is in recognition of outstanding achievements in badminton. For Bolaji, it is for her outstanding achievements and inspiring journey in para-badminton
The prestigious award was presented during the Badminton Confederation Africa (BCA) Annual General Meeting held on Thursday in China.
Receiving the award on her behalf, President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, described the recognition as timely and well-deserved.
He commended Bolaji’s dedication and trailblazing accomplishments, noting her impact on the growth of para-badminton in Africa.
“I am extremely proud of Eniola Bolaji. This award reflects the BCA’s recognition of her remarkable progress,” Orbih said.
“As the first African to win a medal in badminton or para-badminton at the Olympics or Paralympics, I believe she is only just beginning to make her mark on the global stage.
“This award will not only motivate Eniola but also inspire a new generation of Nigerian and African para-badminton players. It shows that their efforts are being noticed and celebrated.”
Orbih also extended his appreciation to the new leadership of the National Sports Commission, led by Shehu Dikko, for the way they have continuously demonstrated that there is a breath of fresh air in sports in Nigeria.
Looking ahead, Orbih highlighted Nigeria’s readiness to host two international para-badminton championships in Abia State this September/October.
“We are looking forward to delivering world-class events. This is an exciting moment for Nigerian badminton, and we intend to set a new benchmark,” he added.
Previous AWIBA Winners:
• 2018 – Gretha Prinsloo (South Africa)
• 2019 – Obiageli Solaja (Nigeria)
• 2020 – Hadia Hosny (Egypt)
• 2021 – Lynn Du Preez (Namibia)
• 2022 – Awatef Ghalloussi (Tunisia)
• 2023 – Harriet Semugabi (Uganda)
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Francis Orbih, president of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, BFN, has remarked that he was very excited at the appointment of Musa Kida as the chairman of Nigeria’s state-owned oil company,.
In a release, the BFN heartily congratulated Kida, who also heads the Nigeria Basketball Federation, the NBBF.
“This appointment is a testament to your exemplary leadership, dedication, and vast experience in both the corporate and sports sectors”, Orbih remarked in a letter to Kida.
” Your commitment to excellence has been evident in your contributions to Nigerian basketball, and we have no doubt that you will bring the same level of passion, integrity, and vision to this critical national assignment.
“As you take on this new role, the Badminton Federation of Nigeria wishes you great success in steering NNPCL towards greater achievements for the benefit of our nation. We look forward to continued collaboration in the advancement of sports and national development. Once again, congratulations!”
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World number 2 player in Para badminton, Eniola Bolaji has solidified her dominance in para-badminton SL3 by winning her second gold medal in two weeks.
This time, she set an African record as the Paralympic bronze medallist triumphed over Turkey’s Halime Yildiz 2-0 (21-7, 21-10) in the women’s final at the Spanish Para Badminton International 2025 in Toledo, Spain, on Sunday.
She began her campaign by defeating India’s Sanjana Kumari 2-0 (21-15, 21-8) in the second round, followed by a 2-0 (21-9, 21-12) win over Turkey’s Halime Yildiz in the third round.
The multiple-time African champion then dispatched Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyba 2-0 (21-16, 21-4) in the semifinal.
An elated President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Francis Orbih praised Eniola Bolaji’s resilience and continued record-breaking achievements in para-badminton.
He highlighted her status as the only African player to win 12 gold medals in all internationals played.
Orbih said, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Eniola Bolaji on her incredible achievement of winning her 12th gold medal in as many international tournaments.
“This remarkable feat is a testament to her consistency, resilience, and unwavering dedication to excellence.”
He continued, “Bolaji has not only made Nigeria proud but has also firmly stamped her authority in the world of para-badminton. Her journey continues to inspire many, and we at the Badminton Federation of Nigeria remain committed to supporting her as she reaches even greater heights.”
The Nigeria badminton supremo also expressed excitement about the upcoming All African Para Badminton/Abia international Para badminton Championships this year, which will provide an opportunity to showcase the country’s rich badminton culture. We thank Abia state government for accepting to host these two historic events.
He said, “It gives me joy that the giants of Africa in Para badminton will be hosting an international championship and the African championship in Nigeria. It will give us an avenue to further expose other potential champions to the world.”
Recall that Eniola Bolaji won a gold medal at the 2025 Spanish Para-Badminton International II in Vitoria last week.
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