Mauritania tops as Nigeria wins five medals at Africa Badminton championship
Team Nigeria’s contingent to the African Badminton Championship won three silver and two bronze medals to finish in the second position at both the men and women categories of the event, which ended in Algeria at the weekend.
Nigeria lost to host, Algeria in the men’s final of the championship also known as Thomas and Uber Cup. 19 countries featured in the competition in which a total of 86 participants took part in the men’s singles event won by Mauritania’s Georges Julien Paul. He defeated Nigeria’s Habeeb Temitope Bello 21-16, 15-21, 21-13 to emerge champion.
The Mauritanians also dominated the women event with Nigeria’s Dorcas Adesokan also losing in the singles final to Kate Kune Foo in the category, which featured 14 countries and 59 athletes.
The ever-strong partnership of Abah Enejo and Peace Orji secured Nigeria’s third silver medal of the competition when they lost in the mixed doubles final to Algeria’s duo of Koceila Mammeri and Linda Mazri.
Following Nigeria’s impressing outing at the championship, President Badminton Federation, Francis Orbih has assured that the players and coaches would work hard to dominate the sport in Africa.
Orbih said that the federation would begin preparation immediately for the next Thomas and Uber Africa Cup scheduled for 2020 and also work ahead to qualify for the Olympics in Japan.The team is expected to arrive in the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja today by 2.00 p.m.
