Badminton
Finally, Badminton Federation of Nigeria gets airborne
The board of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) has now attained a cruising altitude after some turbulences that prevented it from taking off last October when it was initially scheduled to be inaugurated along with the other national sports Federations.
The initial problem occasioned by litigations came to an abrupt end last month leading to reconciliation and consolidation of interests and programmes. The board has since had an inaugural meeting in which their 2022 calendar was rolled out.
The BFN president, Francis Orbih urged all to sheath their sword as reconciliation of aggrieve parties has taken place.
The board was further strengthened with the drafting of co-opted members such as Yahaya Faruk, Sam Addingi and Gabriel Gbayan.
Also, a suspended player, Abdulfatai Salaudeen who hitherto headed the Players’ Association was pardoned following the acceptance of a letter of apology from him.
His suspension as well as that of the other executive members of the Players’ Association was lifted. At the inaugural meeting of the BFN, existing subcommittees were reconstituted while some new ones were created.
The Women Development Committee, Welfare Committee and Ethics and Disciplinary Committee were the newly created arms of BFN.
According to the president, the Women Development Committee was created to provide solutions to the dearth of women players and administrators as well as to encourage more participation of the feminine gender in badminton.
The committee is to also assist in discovering and developing female players for better performance. Another addition to the arm of government is the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee which is saddled with the responsibility of instilling discipline among players and officials as well as the review of the existing Code of Conduct.
The Welfare committee is to cater for the welfare needs of stakeholders especially the players.
The list of the new Committee Chairmen and Chairperson are:
1. Mrs Esther Gidado – Chairperson, Women Development Committee
2. Mr Gabriel Gbayan Chairman, Welfare Committee
3. Mr. Yusuf Lawal Bello
Chairman, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee
The president, Francis Orbih, rolled out the BFN’s programmes and called on all to support it having its core thrust to grassroots sports development, women and disabled persons inclusions as well as expanding the frontiers for national and international participation.
To achieve the objectives, he pointed at the legacy project of a Badminton Complex which has to be given prime attention as the BFN is collaborating with the Chinese partners and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to deliver the project which will be the first of its kind in Africa.
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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