Sports

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

Published

5 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

Lagos Women Run: Excitement Builds Ahead of Saturday’s TBS Race

Published

18 hours ago

November 10, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Participants from different walks of life are eagerly looking forward to the Lagos Women Run scheduled for Saturday, November 14, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos.

The participants have expressed excitement about the opportunities and experiences the annual event promises to offer.

Our correspondent reports that, in addition to runners from within Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, some athletes are expected to travel from outside the country to participate in the race.

The organisers are already making preparations for the large number of registered participants, while the possibility of accepting late entries will depend on the timing and other arrangements.

The Coordinator of the Lagos Women Run, Tayo Popoola, said participants should expect an improved experience compared with previous editions.

“We have to continue to get better, as that is the driving force for us as organisers. We will be bigger and better with every edition,” Popoola said.

The 2026 Lagos Women Run will hold on Saturday, November 14, with Tafawa Balewa Square serving as the starting point.

Participants are expected to arrive at the venue by 6:30 a.m. for the event.

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