Nigeria’s Eniola Bolaji on Saturday added another remarkable accolade to her name, emerging victorious at the 2025 British and Irish Para Badminton International. The prestigious event took place at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.
Ranked world No. 2 in the women’s SL3 category, the Paralympic bronze medallist delivered a spirited performance to defeat reigning Paralympic gold medallist and world No. 1 Qonitah Syakuroh in a thrilling final. The match concluded 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 21-13) in favour of the Nigerian shuttler, showcasing her resilience and tactical brilliance.
Bolaji began the final with purpose, clinching the opening set 21-16. Although Syakuroh struck back with a 21-16 win in the second, it was Bolaji’s composed finish in the deciding set—coming from behind at 11-13 to win ten consecutive points—that sealed a memorable victory.
Her path to the title was nothing short of dominant. She launched her campaign with a straight-sets (21-12, 21-18) win over Australia’s Celine Vinot in the second round. The Nigerian ace then powered past world No. 10 Milena Surreau of France (21-8, 21-18), followed by a commanding performance against India’s Sanjana Kumari (21-5, 21-15).
In the semi-final, she once again faced Vinot, this time dismantling the Australian with an emphatic 21-4, 21-8 triumph to book her place in the final.
With this victory, Bolaji has not only claimed her most significant international title to date but also reaffirmed her position as one of Africa’s brightest stars in para-badminton.
An elated President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, described Eniola Bolaji’s victory as a testament to her hard work and perseverance.
Orbih noted that defeating the world No. 1, whom Bolaji had previously lost to in the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, shows she is ready for greater challenges ahead.
He said, “I am excited with this victory because she just defeated the world number one, whom she lost to in the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
“Bolaji has shown significant improvement, and we hope she maintains this momentum heading into the next Paralympic Games. BFN, BCA and the National Sports Commission are proud of her continuous efforts in putting Nigeria and Africa on the global badminton map.”Bottom of Form
