It is not all the time that a particular individual embodies the hopes of a society the way badminton star, Anu Opeyori, is cast. Here is a young man, who a few years ago was sitting listless in the slums of Makoko, Lagos, with little or no idea of what the future had in store for him.

But today, Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori has become the symbol of all that is good in Nigerian sports: resilience, hard work, perseverance and the will to win even against all manner of odds.

From July 26, the young man, simply known as Anu, will begin a journey many in African badminton cycle believe will lead to the continent’s first medal at the Olympic Games.

Such is the height of expectations on this lad’s shoulders that the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) last weekend held a sendforth dinner for him at the prestigious Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event drew the who-is-who in Nigerian sport, including sponsors and corporate bodies, who came to know what the fuss was all about. They all left the venue dreaming of watching the country’s entry at the biggest sporting spectacle of the year.

Explaining the significance of the occasion, BFN President, Francis Orbih, said the event christened ‘From Makoko to Paris: A Farewell Dinner for Anu Opeyori,’ was organised to get the player in the right mode as he begins a training tour of Italy and also to create awareness for badminton beyond the guest gathered at the venue.

Orbih also said the event was aimed at appreciating the contributions of sponsors to the successes recorded by the federation. He explained: “All our sponsors are here and we believe that prospective sponsors will see what we are doing and key in to badminton.”

Orbih justified the high premium placed on Anu’s expected success at the Olympics, saying that, although the African champion is entering an uncharted territory, the federation believes he can achieve a medal in Paris simply because of his level of competence.

“No Nigerian has played in the men’s singles at the Olympics before, so we are not using Nigeria as a benchmark.

“We are using Africa as a starting point… in Africa, no player has gone beyond the first round. So, if he does that it is a great achievement. But we are looking beyond making the first round because once he gets into the second round anything can happen,” he said.

Orbih is not worried that Anu could be overawed by the caliber of players expected at the Olympics. This is because he believes that Anu has the requisite experience to withstand everything his opponents would throw at him. “When Anu was younger, it was much difficult for him to withstand the pressure in big championships like the Olympics.”

But now he is matured enough to take on any opponent.

“He is not going just as a Nigerian… he is going there as African champion and everywhere he goes, they will accord him that recognition as Africa’s best. Such pressures can be positive and push him to do bigger things.”

Anu is expected to embark on a training tour of Italy in a couple of days to prepare for the challenges in Paris. It is a development Orbih describes as one of the steps towards achieving success in Paris.

He said: “Any training tour is good for him because the facilities out there are better than what we have in Nigeria. The ministry is making arrangements for another training camp in Germany from July and in between that, he has one or two championships to fit into his programme before the main competition begins in Paris.

“What we are planning is for his coach to go with him to the training tour so that the coach will see what he is doing and be able to help him properly. The coach will also learn some tricks, which he will apply to Anu’s game at the Olympics because he will sit behind him during his matches.”

On the Asian dominance of the sport and Anu’s ability to withstand the top level competition at the Games, Orbih said the African champion is well equipped for success despite the tough field expected at the competition.

“Every top player can withstand the Asians. In badminton, it is the same shuttlecorks and rackets. What matters is the level of training and the player’s ability and determination.

“What has been hindering our progress in badminton is the fact that we don’t have a single badminton facility in Nigeria. We have Ikoyi Club, which is a private club and not every child can go there to train. All the public facilities in all the stadiums are multipurpose halls that cater for badminton, basketball, handball, gymnastics, table tennis etc. So, you can only use it when others are not using it. The week handball is playing, badminton cannot play.

“ I went to China and saw a facility with 22 courts, which are open 24/7 for players to use. The players can even sleep there. The level of training matters in the game. The level of facilities has limited Africa in the game. If we have better facilities and longer periods to train, as well as good coaches to work with, we will be up there with the Asians.

“I am telling you, some of our coaches have not gone for any training in 15 years, so they are teachng them what they learnt 15 years ago. Meanwhile, the guy he is playing against learnt something new a week before, so we are at a disadvantage. That is why we have put him in competitions and training tours abroad to be at par with the Asians. We believe he has as much chance of success as the Asians.”

Orbih said poor funding has been BFN’s bane, explaining that without money, it has been difficult for the federation to execute most of its programmes.

“Sponsorship and funding has been our problem. We were able to take him to some competitions with the little resources at our disposal. If we had more money, we would have done more for our players. We arranged this dinner to seek support from corporate Nigeria.

“To badminton stakeholders, I say lets continue to preach the gospel until we get badminton where it should be. Anu is just one player, among the many, that can do wonders if giving the necessary support.

“Three years ago, Dorcas Adesokan played in the women’s singles, while Anu and his partner, Godwin Olofua, played in the men’s doubles in Tokyo.

“Without sponsors, we will not be here celebrating today. We thank you for your support over the years. But we are calling for more support because the future is bright for badminton.”