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Nigeria’s number 1 badminton player, Anuoluwa Opeyori has won his third African title in a space of five years to assert himself as Africa’s undisputable champion.
His latest victory came in South Africa as he beat Mauritius Julien Paul 18-21, 21-13, 21-18 to win the gold medal of the Men’s singles of the All Africa Senior Championships at the weekend.
It was not an easy feat as the Nigerian delegation was psychologically drained even before the championship owing to non-issuance of travel visa to four of the ten-man team.
With his latest win, Opeyori has added to earlier titles won in Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 2019 and Kampala, Uganda in 2022. He had also won the Men’s Singles title at the African Games in Morocco in 2019 to make it four titles in five years!
His spirit was initially dampened following the inability of four of his teammates namely Aliyu Alhaji Shehu, Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan, Sofiyat Arinola Obanishola and Ramatu Yakubu to obtain entry visa into South Africa for the competition.
Opeyori began the individual event easily outstroking Trinity Chimpumho of Zimbabwe 21-8, 21-9. Next to succumb to his firepower was homeboy, Ruan Snyman who also fell in two straight sets of 21-11 and 21-16 at the Round of 16.
Only Zambia’s Kalombo Mulenga showed a little resistance. But ‘Huricane Opeyori’ blew him away after the Zambian narrowly took the first set at 19-21.
Opeyori with fury of thunder smashed out the Zambian 21-10 in the next set and 21-19 in the third set of the quarter-final duel to win the match.
With the games getting tougher as the championship tie beckoned, Opeyori won the semi-finals against another homeboy, Robert Summers, 21-19 and 21-15 before his title match with the Mauritian.
It’s a new begining, remarked the Badminton Federation of Nigeria president, Francis Orbih who admitted that the sport in Nigeria suffered a setback following an initial internal wrangling that was only resolved last year.
“We are back to reassert our commanding stature in Africa,” he assured.
