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AGAIN, IT’S ANUOLUWAPO OPEYORI, GODWIN OLUFUA FINAL AT GOLDEN STAR KATSINA BADMINTON FINAL

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As the third edition of Golden Star Katsina (GSK) National Badminton Championship enters its final day the Men’s Singles event is the major attraction.

The category, after some initial scares and jitters, saw the eventual emergence of what has long become a tradition; an Anuoluwapo Opeyori &, Godwin Olufua final match.

The pair of Tunde Bankole and Isaac Minaphee are joint third men singles’ winners after losing to Anu and Godwin respectively.

The Women’s Singles produced the finals of home girl, Ruth Chinenye Ibere (GSK) and comeback queen, Grace Gabriel of Plateau State. Aminat Funke Ilori (Ogun/FRSC) and Judith Aganyi (Federal Capital Territory) are bronze medallists after losing to Ruth and grace respectively.

The Men’s Doubles event produced the biggest upset of the tournament when the pair of a former African Number One player, Jinkam Ifraimu Bulus (Taraba) and Daniel Phillip (Adamawa) defeated the deadly pair of Anuoluwapo Opeyori (Lagos/FRSC) and Godwin Olofua (Lagos),  currently ranked Number One pair in Nigeria and Africa 21-16, 16-21, 22-20 to set up a final against the pair of Eneojo J.Abah and Isaac Minaphee (Delta State).

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 The latter pair had earlier dispatched the young pair of Saddam Rufai Sidi and Khalil Shamsuddeen Safana (GSK), both junior international players.

The Women’s Doubles Finals is between Grace Gabriel / Ruth C.Ibere (Plateau/Karsna/FRSC) and Peace Orji Abah / Juliet Jacob (Delta/Taraba).

The first pair rode through to the Finals by beating Joy Marcus/Winner David (NS/GSK), while the second pair trounced the pair of Folashade Akinyemi/ Olajumoke Afolabi (KD/NA) to advance thence.

Mixed Doubles has a battle set between Nigeria’s Number One and Africa’s Number Two  MXD pair of Eneojo Joseph Abah and his beautiful wife, Peace Orji-Abah (DT/RV) & Aliyu Alhaji Shehu / Maryam Umar (NG)

The bronze in the category was won by Jovita Anikwe / Queen Chibuzor (AN) and Akinsola Simeon/ Aminat Funke Ilori (OG/ FRSC).

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The foray into the last eight and Semifinals by hitherto unknown players greatly underlines the development and progress the game has recorded in recent years through the regular national tournaments as organized by the current Board of the Federation in it’s effort to avail all players of the game the opportunity to sharpen their skills and get the necessary exposure and experience.

The level of this edition’s games, which was honoured by no less than 28 states and four national agencies, has remained very high.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Badminton chieftain, Orbih dreams of ‘born-again’ Lagos International Badminton Classic

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BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU

The Lagos International Badminton Classics may from the next edition step up to the next level with a reinvigorated government-private partnership initiative.

President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) Francis Orbih believes that the governments at all levels cannot fund sports alone and if sports need to develop the private sector also has a role to play in its development in the country.

Orbih made the call on Saturday while addressing newsmen during the closing ceremony of the 7th edition of the Lagos Badminton Classics which took place at the Sir Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

“Nigeria players need more encouragement and support because you know it will be difficult for most of these players to travel out for this kind of championships.

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“And that is why we try to make this event an annual event so that they can have that opportunity to play the game at this level” Orbih hinted.

“They need the exposure because without it, there is a limit to what you can do so we have to challenge them, and to whom much is given, much is expected, and it is the much we can give to them that determines the much we expect from them”.

“In giving this much, we need the private sector for sports to grow and develop because the government cannot do it alone” Orbih emphasized.

On the just concluded 7th edition of the tournament Orbih noted that the championship has lived up to his expectations even though the Federation can do better, and one practice which they have adopted is to surpass the performance of the previous edition while hosting a current edition.

He further added that Nigeria had a good outing as we reached some semifinals in some categories while the mixed doubles reached the finals.

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“For the men’s singles, our number one player was edged out in the quarterfinal, and it was at this same level in last year’s edition that he was edged out”. “We thought he would have improved this year and reach the final but that was not possible but I am expecting that we will improve on his performance in the next edition” an optimistic Orbih added

Orbih did not fail to remind all that Opeyori’s rise to stardom in Nigeria and Africa as whole was a journey that started so many years ago and so much need to be done if the younger ones have to rise to his level in the future.

 “A lot of people who see Opeyori today think he just got to this level over night”. “They do not know what he has gone through to become Africa’s number one. We as a federation need to go back to the age-grade tournament at the U12, U15 and U17 level so we can start preparing them with lots of exposure to attain his level”. “There is no magic and there is no short cut and if we need to get more players like Opeyori, we need to invest more at the age-grade level and that is it”.

He also did not fail to state that Opeyori started the Lagos Badminton Classics from its first edition in 2014 and it was his exposure over the years through the event and other championships that gave him the experience needed which made him qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

On India’s domination of the Lagos Badminton Classics, Orbih noted that India is a powerhouse as far as badminton is concerned and it is because this tournament has a lot of world ranking players that makes it good for Nigerian players to take part in it so that they can also acquire exposure too.

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It’s Indian delight at Lagos International Badminton Classic

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The duo of Kanapuram Sathwik Reddy and Khadkekarr Vaishnavi

BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU

The Indians are having a swell time at the Lagos International Badminton Classic.

Not only did an Indian player, Samarveer responsible for Nigeria’s Anuoluwapo Opeyori’s ouster at the quarter-finals, the Indians have won the mixed doubles beating a Nigerian pair.

They were delighted at the relative ease of their accomplishment.

The duo of Kanapuram Sathwik Reddy and Khadkekarr Vaishnavi  expressed their shock on how easy it was for them to beat Nigeria’s duo of Shehu, Alhaji Aliyu and Ukeh, Uchechukwu Deborah in the finals of the mixed doubles on home ground.

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The game which was played on court two of the Sir Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall on Saturday, saw the Indians record two straight wins against Nigeria to win 2-0 (21-12,21-14).

Speaking after the win, both players who were overjoyed about their wins expressed themselves.

“It’s my first time of playing in Nigeria” Reddy started “And am glad this game ended very well, we are happy to win and we never expected it would come this easy”

“When we reached the final and were going to play Nigeria we thought it was going to be very tough because of the home crowd, but it was not” he said.

Adding her voice a delighted Vaishnavi also appreciated the warm reception given by the host country in organizing the tournament.

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“I am happy with the environment and reception here, the atmosphere is peaceful and the people are very nice, we feel very happy winning” she concluded.

The Indians who have dominated the finals of the doubles in previous editions edged Nigeria’s side to win the mixed doubles.

It will also be recalled that Nigeria’s duo of Shehu Alhaji Aliyu and Ukeh, Uchechukwu Deborah reached the finals of this edition without lifting their racket, as they walked over their French opponents who were ruled out due to arm injury.

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India Stops Nigeria From Reaching Final of Women’s Doubles

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BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU

Nigeria’s duo of Dorcas Ajoke and Ilori Aminat on Friday failed to reach the final of the women’s doubles of the Lagos Badminton Classic at the  Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The duo suffered two straight defeats at the hands of India’s Singhi Simran and Selvan Kavipriya who defied the slim efforts made by the home fans to cheer the Nigerian sides to victory.

The game which was played on court 2 was however slightly disrupted by power supply barely five minutes of play but that did not stop the Asian side from getting the job done when power was restored.

In a later development, Nigeria’s duo of Shehu Alhaji Aliyu and Ukeh Uchechukwu Deborah also reached the final of the mixed doubles without lifting their rackets.

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The duo benefited from a walk over which took them to the final after their French opponents  of Maio Julien and Palermo Lea were ruled out due to arm injury.

The championship comes to a close this Saturday.

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