Paralympic bronze medallist Eniola Bolaji has claimed the women’s SL3 title at the 2025 British and Irish Para Badminton International, held at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff on Saturday, July 26.
Bolaji, ranked world No. 2, delivered a gutsy performance to overcome top-ranked and Paralympic champion Qonitah Syakuroh in a thrilling 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 21-13) final.
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The Nigerian star opened the match with a confident 21-16 win in the first set before Syakuroh responded strongly to take the second set by the same scoreline.
In the decider, Bolaji trailed until the 13-point mark but showed remarkable composure and resilience, closing out the match with a dominant surge from 11 points to clinch the title.
The victory marks Bolaji’s biggest international triumph to date and a major milestone in her rising career.
Her journey to the title began with a 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) win over Australia’s Celine Vinot in the second round.
She followed up with another straight-sets victory against world No. 10 Milena Surreau of France (21-8, 21-18) and then dismantled India’s Sanjana Kumari 2-0 (21-5, 21-15).
In the semifinals, Bolaji faced Vinot once again and produced a dominant display, winning 2-0 (21-4, 21-8) to advance to the championship match.
President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, praised Bolaji’s achievement, calling it a testament to her hard work, resilience, and growth.
“I am excited with this victory because she just defeated the world number one, whom she lost to in the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” Orbih said.
“Bolaji has shown significant improvement, and we hope she maintains this momentum heading into the next Paralympic Games. BFN, BCA, and the National Sports Commission are proud of her continuous efforts in putting Nigeria and Africa on the global badminton map.”
