Opeyori Retains African Badminton Title as Nigerian Players Shine in Cairo

Nigeria's team at the just concluded All Africa Senior Badminton Championship, Cairo 2024, claimed seven medals with the country's number one badminton player, Anuoluwapo Opeyori clinching his fifth African title and the third back to back.

Anuoluwapo had earlier won the All Africa Senior Championships Men's Singles title in Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 2019, the All Africa Games MS title in Morocco in 2019, the All Africa Senior Championships MS title in Uganda 2022, the All Africa Senior Championships in South Africa 2023 and now in Egypt 2024.

Nigeria's male team in the team event narrowly lost to Algeria in the Finals even after securing the first two of five games, thereby settling for Silver. The Women's team picked a valuable bronze after losing the Semifinals to the

Ugandan Women's team.

In the Individual event, Nigeria's Wonder Boy, Anuoluwapo Opeyori stormed through to the finals by beating compatriot Victor Ikechukwu 21-13, 19-21, 21-9 to rekindle an old rivalry with Mauritian Georges Julien Paul where he again asserted his dominance by beating Paul 23-21, 11-21, 21-16 to take the coveted MS crown for the third time in a row and his fifth African title.

The relatively new pair of Yunusa Momoh Godwin Olofua did the country proud by beating Mauritius players, Melvin Appiah and Tejraj Pultoo 21-17, 21-15 to reach the Finals. They were, however, unable to subdue the duo of Africa's number one pair of Algeria's Kociela Mammeri and Sabri Medel, thereby losing 12-21, 8-21 to clinch the Silver in the Men's Doubles event.