Sports

Para Badminton: Eniola Bolaji Bags Silver At 2026 British & Irish International

Published

3 months ago

June 28, 2026

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria’s Eniola Bolaji won a silver medal at the 2026 British & Irish Para Badminton International on Sunday, June 28.

The Paralympic bronze and World championship silver medallist lost 2-0 (21-18, 23-21) to Japan’s Shino Kawai in the SL3 women’s singles final at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena in Dublin.

Bolaji enjoyed an impressive run to the final, recording wins over India’s Neeraj 2-0 (21-15, 21-3) and France’s Milena Surreau 2-0 (21-19, 21-13) during the group stage.

The multiple African champions continued her dominant form by defeating Türkiye’s Halime Yildiz 2-0 (21-16, 21-7) in the quarter-finals before cruising past Australia’s Celine Vinot 2-0 (21-7, 21-9) in the semi-finals.

An elated President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, while speaking on Sunday, he praised Eniola Bolaji for another outstanding performance on the international stage.

Orbih described her display in Dublin as fantastic and expressed confidence that the Nigerian star has what it takes to defeat Shino Kawai in future competitions.

He revealed that the federation is already working on plans to secure overseas training programme aimed at helping Bolaji close the gap with Shino who dethroned her as world number 1. Orbih said:

“It was a fantastic performance and I am very happy with what Eniola achieved. I am motivated to intensify efforts to ensure she trains outside the country because it is only a matter of time before she starts beating the Japanese player, Shino Kawai.

“I have congratulated her for setting the tone once again, and we are looking forward to arranging a three-month training tour abroad to further improve her game.”

Orbih also commended the support received from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Badminton Confederation Africa (BCA) while acknowledging the sponsorship of Yonex, and GIG Logistics toward the athlete’s development.

He expressed optimism that with sustained support and international exposure, Bolaji will continue to challenge for major titles ahead of future global competitions.

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Sports

AACT 2026: 31 Days to Africa’s Big Sporting Gathering in Abuja

Published

19 hours ago

October 2, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The countdown to the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) has officially entered the final month, with just 31 days to go before Africa’s leading women’s team golf championship tees off at the IBB International Golf & Country Club in Abuja.

In a statement signed by the AACT 2026Director of Communication Kayode Adeniyi on Friday in Abuja.

Under the theme “Africa Is Coming to Abuja,” the countdown campaign will spotlight the championship, the participating nations, the players, the host venue and the growing development of women’s golf across the continent.

The 2026 AACT, scheduled for November 2–7, will bring together women’s golfing talent from across Africa for six days of continental competition in Nigeria’s capital.

As preparations continue at the IBB International Golf & Country Club, attention is increasingly turning to Abuja, where the championship will provide a platform for African golfers to compete while also showcasing Nigeria’s hospitality and the country’s growing profile as a destination for major sporting events.

The countdown will feature daily stories, interviews, player and country profiles, tournament facts, behind-the-scenes updates and features on the host venue as the championship draws closer.

The campaign will also highlight the role of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN), the Local Organising Committee and other stakeholders in preparing for the continental championship.

With just 31 days remaining, anticipation is building across the African golfing community as Abuja prepares to welcome the continent’s leading women golfers.

Africa is coming to Abuja.

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