Badminton
AFRICA’S POWER OF SPORTS, NYESOM WIKE SETS SHUTTLE SKY-BOUND FOR RIVERS GOVERNOR’S BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIP
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
After an earlier hosting of both national and continental wrestling competitions, Rivers State Governor has diversified into racket sports as the first edition of the four-day Rivers Governor’s Badminton Championship is scheduled to begin on December 20.
The bowels of the Alfred Diette-Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt which has been the venue for the African Wrestling Championship earlier in the year will also pay host the country’s best badminton players.
- The championship which is the first ever badminton tournament to be held in Port Harcourt will run from December 19 to 22.
An all time highest total prize money of N7.02million is at stake.
It is made possible by Nyesom Wike whose passion for sports and human capital development made the International Sports Press Associaition, AIPS-Africa to confer on him, the title of Power of Sports in Africa.
Frank Orbih, the chieftain of Badminton Federation of Nigeria and the recipient of Best Sports Administrator for the Year 2018, told www.sportsvillagesquare.com that Nyesom Wike is living up to the title conferred on him by AIPS-Africa as well as being honoured earlier in the year by the world organisation, AIPS in Belgium this year.
For the Wike-backed national badminton championship, Orbih said that all entries must be made online through the BFN website. According to him, the entries close this Friday, December 7.
According to him, all state head coaches must log on to the BFN websites to enter their players with their passwords, as late entries will not be accepted. Registered players for the event are expected to arrive Port Harcourt on Tuesday December 18, while accommodation will be provided for all state accredited players as well as free launch throughout the championship.
Honours will be competed for in Men’s Singles (MS), Women’s Singles (WS), Men’s Doubles (MD), Women’s Doubles (WD) and Mixed Doubles (XD) with no player allowed to feature in more than two events.
Orbih further declared that team managers are expected to converge at the conference room of the venue for a technical meeting on December 19 before the tournament serves off.
An all time highest total prize money of N7.02million will be competed for in the 4-day event with the winner of the men’s and women’s singles smiling home with N300, 000 each. Cash prizes will also be spread from the second position to the 32nd place finishers for singles and 16th place finishers for doubles and mixed doubles.
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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