Nigerian Para โขBadminton Stars Bolaji, Nnanna Dominate at Africa Championships, Reach Finals
UMUAHIA, Abia State, Nigeria – โParalympic bronze medalist Eniola Bolaji adn teammate Chigozie Nnanna led a strong nigerianโค showing at the Africa Para Badminton Championships, securing their placesโ in Sunday’s finals โwith commanding semi-final victories. โThe performances underscore Nigeria’s โขgrowingโข strength in para-badminton and signalโ potential medal success atโฃ upcoming internationalโ competitions.
Bolaji, currently โคranked second โglobally in the SL3 category โขby โคthe Para World Badminton Federation, dispatched cameroon’s Danyele โฃMouafo 2-0 (21-4, 21-0) in Saturday’sโข women’sโ singles SL3โค semi-final. Bolaji also advanced in mixed doubles alongside Nnanna, defeatingโ Congo DR’sโ Prince Mamvumvu-Kidila andโข Cameroon’s Makeu โMouafo 2-0 (21-14, 21-8) โin the โSL/SU5 event. Both athletes recently claimed gold at the First Abia Para Badminton International, held September 30 – October 5 at the sameโข umuahia โฃvenue, demonstratingโค consistent dominance on home soil.
Nnanna, Africa’s โtop-ranked player โin the SL4 class, continuedโ his winning streak with a 2-0 (21-5, 21-13) victory over Kenya’s Benson Mutiso in the men’s singles SL4 โฃcategory.Fellow Nigerian James Akpan also progressed to the finals, defeating Cameroon’s Etienne Bidjoka 2-0 (21-5, 21-5) in the men’s singles SL4. In an all-Nigerian matchup, Ifeanacho Ohaeri overcame Okechukwu Ibeabuchi 2-0 (21-8, 21-8) in the men’s singles wheelchair โฃ2 event.
Chukwuemeka โEze, Chinyere Okoro, and Gift Chukwuemeka โฃalso qualified for Sunday’s finals. Egypt’s Shaimaa Abdellatif secured a spot in the women’s โคsingles wheelchair 2 โfinal, defeating Cameroon’s Irene Nkwa 2-0 (21-12, 21-17).
Over 150 athletes from 12 nations – Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo DR, Egypt, Mauritius, mozambique, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, Rwanda, Tunisia, zimbabwe, and host Nigeria -โ are competing across 19 events at the championships. The โคfinals will be held Sunday โin Umuahia.