Why Lagos Organised Badminton International Classics –Tinubu
Lagos State Government gave its support to organize the 3rd International Badminton Classics Championship because it believes that the tournament is part of series of international sports events that will bring world stars to the state.
The Badminton Classics, which began on Tuesday at the Molade Okoya Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, will end today.
The Special Adviser to the governor on sports Mr. Deji Tinubu stated that the Badminton Classics is part of a series of International Sporting events geared towards attracting the best continental and global sports talents to the shores of Nigeria in pursuance of the sports developmental agenda of the state government.
He said the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Sports Commission worked in collaboration with the National Badminton Association of Nigeria to ensure the organization of the tournament was of international standards.
According to the Chairman of the Sports Commission, the Classics was also intended to elevate the level of sports competition in the state by giving the state's athletes the needed competitive edge and exposure.
The tournament featured 70 players in the male and female categories from eleven countries namely Portugal, Togo, Ghana, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Jordan, India, Italy, Benin Republic, Uganda and host country Nigeria. They took part in five events of the championship ; men 's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.
However, Team Nigeria will be looking to make a statement in the championship having previously participated in two Badminton Tournaments in Benin Republic and Ivory Coast with a result of four gold, four silver and eight bronze medals in Benin and two gold, two silver and eight bronze medals in Ivory Coast.
Team Nigeria paraded the 25 players that represented the country in Ivory Coast and Benin Republic, with its best hands like Grace Gabriel who is based in Holland as a professional Badminton player and a onetime African Champion in the male categories and Dorcas Adesokan, who has bright chances of representing Nigeria in the next Olympic games considering her recent rating by the Badminton Confederation of Africa, BCA, after winning the women's singles in Benin Republic.