Sports
Nigeria’s Opeyori claim surprise gold at All Africa Badminton Championships
Nigeria’s Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori secured unexpected title on Sunday at the All Africa Individual Badminton Championships in Kampala, Uganda.
It is Nigeria’s first major win since the crisis in the administration of badminton ensued late last year. Opeyori was Nigeria’s sole entry as his doubles’ partner; Godwin Olofua failed to show up having travelled unexpectedly to Qatar. Due to lack of funding,
Nigeria was to present the three-man team that went for the Olympics comprising of Opeyori and Godwin Olofua in both the singles and doubles men’s event while Dorcas Adesokan had to be excused on account of preparation for her wedding.
That left only Opeyori as the sole competitor and was at the brink of not attending owing to the funding challenge.
There is no executive board of the Badminton federation in the country at the moment and the leadership of a caretaker committee had to get Opeyori a flight ticket to attend the championship.
Not featuring in competitions had already taken its toll on the ranking of Nigerian players. Opeyori had to attend alone without any coach or support staff.
It was a gamble that paid off. He avenged his loss in the 2020 final with a thrilling 21-14, 23-21 win over Brian Kasirye of Uganda.
It his second individual gold medal at the event after taking the 2019 title following a win against countryman Godwin Olofua in that final.
Opeyori had beaten 2017 champion Adel Hamek of Algeria in convincing fashion with a 21-18, 21-18 semi-final triumph in the men’s singles.
On his path to the semi final he beat home boy, Israel Wanagalya of Uganda 18-21, 21-10 and 21-11 to get a 2-1 win having come back from a set down.
Sports
LEADERSHIP Newspaper’s Salifu Usman Receives SWAN Fellowship In Recognition Of Sports Development Efforts
Salifu Abubakar Usman, Group Sports Editor of LEADERSHIP Newspaper, has been honoured with the Fellow of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) award, in recognition of his exceptional support for the association, professional journalism, and his significant contributions to sports development in Nigeria.
The esteemed accolade was presented during SWAN’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration, held in Abuja, marking 60 years of excellence in sports journalism across the nation.
Upon receiving the award, Salifu expressed profound gratitude, describing the honour as a source of inspiration and renewed motivation to further his lifelong dedication to sports reporting, promotion, and growth.
“This award gives me hope and motivation to do more. It’s a source of inspiration for me and my family, and I believe it will encourage me further in sports reporting and sports development in Nigeria,” he stated.
Salifu highlighted that this recognition serves as a morale boost following decades of hard work and impactful contributions within Nigeria’s sports community and beyond.
The SWAN Diamond Jubilee Celebration attracted prominent figures from sports administration, the media, and government sectors to celebrate individuals and organisations whose efforts have significantly advanced sports development and journalism in Nigeria.
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