Team Nigeria’s dominant display at the All Africa Para-Badminton Championship in Kampala earmarked their dominance in the Para Games, as the West African nation’s representatives won a mammoth thirteen medals to top the medal table.
Represented by top-ranked athletes at the Championship held at the MTN Arena, Lugogo Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, Team Nigeria cruised to the top with eight gold, two silver, and three bronze medals.
The electrifying duo of Nnanna Jeremiah Chigozie and Bolaji Mariam Eniola each won three gold medals to continue their impressive display and reproduce the same performance they enjoyed at the Uganda International Para-Badminton Championship held at the same venue last week.
The two Nigerians overcame the Egyptian/Zambian pair of Mohammed Ismail (EGY) and Martha Cheve (ZAM) with a score of 21-8, 21-5, in straight sets to win 2-0 in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 event.
In the Women’s SL3-SU5 doubles final, the dazzling Eniola paired Chiyere Okoro, and the pair defeated home favorites Sumini Mutesi and Rose Nansereko from Uganda 21-5, 21-8 to also win in two straight sets.
In the Women’s SL3 Singles, Nigeria’s shining star Eniola continued to assert her dominance with a 21-9, 21-4 win in straight sets to see off another Ugandan, Elizabeth Mwesigwa. Chiyere, on the other hand, found it a little bit tougher against Benin Republic’s Morenike Oloutou in the SL4+SU5 Women’s Singles final, but she eventually edged out her opponent 21-11, 19-21, 21-16 to win 2-1.
In the male category, Nnanna defeated Hassan Muniru of Uganda 21-14, 21-5 to win 2-0 in straight sets in the Men’s singles SL4 final, while the duo of Olanipekun Gbenga and Akpan James got another gold on board for Nigeria in the men’s doubles SL3-SL4 by overcoming the Ugandan duo of Muniru and David Mukisa 21-9, 21-9.
However, it was not all wins for Team Nigeria, as Ijeoma Gift lost to Egypt’s Shaimaa Abdelatif 14-21, 10-21 in the Women’s Singles WH2 final, while in an exciting all-Nigerian clash in the SL3 Men’s Singles final, Chukwuebuka Eze defeated Olanipekun 21-19, 14-21, 21-17 to take the gold medal.
Nnanna and Eniola also won gold in the Mixed doubles SL3-SU5, while Chiyere clinched gold in the Women’s Singles SL4+SU5 Combine.
In the Men’s SL3-SL4 doubles, Olanipekun and Chukwuebuka combined to win gold for Nigeria, while Eze teamed up with Nnanna to win gold in the SU5 Men’s doubles.
While speaking on Team Nigeria’s excellent outing and their success at the tournament, Francis Orbih, the President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), expressed his immeasurable appreciation to the Federal Government for their unending support towards the BFN.
He stated that their help was crucial in aiding the nation’s athletes to participate and compete in both the international and continental badminton championships.
Orbih further added that he was essentially delighted with the performance of the team at the two tournaments, which served as qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Paralympics. He said, “The federation is determined to ensure that Nigeria continues to present quality representation at all competitions.”
In the other results for Nigeria, Gift Ijeoma won a silver medal in the women’s WH2 final. Ohaeri Emmanuel took home the bronze medal in the WH2 Men’s singles final, while the duo combined for bronze in the mixed doubles WH1-2 event.
