Team Nigeria captain and the country’s only representative in the badminton tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Anuoluwapo Opeyori, suffered a 2-0 defeat in his opening game in the men’s singles on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old fought valiantly but just fell short to Switzerland’s Tobias Kuenzi, who won the encounter 22-20, 21-14 in straight sets after 41 minutes of action at the La Chapelle Arena Court 1.
The two-time African Games gold medallist was impressive all through the game, coming close to winning the first set, which he led by as much as three points towards the end. However, Kuenzi, ranked 112th in the world, was steadfast, holding on for the win.
In the second set, Kuenzi came out of the blocks with real intent, but Opeyori battled back to tie the scores at 6-6. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old Swiss replied to take the set with a seven-point differential and stun the Nigerian, ranked 103rd in the world.
“That was a close one,” the Opeyori said in a video posted on his official social media platforms. “Thank you all for your support. I really gave my best, but it was just unfortunate that I couldn’t get the win.”
Despite the defeat, Opeyori’s journey at the Olympics isn’t over just yet, as he will return to action on Wednesday, July 31, for his final Group N game against China’s Li Shi Feng, who is ranked 6th in the world, and dispatched Kuenzi 2-0 in his opening game.
