Team Nigeria emerged champions of the 2019 All Africa Senior Badminton Championship, which ended in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Sunday by winning four gold, two silver and one bronze medal to top the medals table.
Exceptional display of grit and determination from Nigerian stars Anuoluwapo Opeyori and Dorcas Adesokan helped them to defeat Georges Paul and Kate Foo Kune from Mauritius in the men and women’s singles respectively.
Kune, the reigning African champion since 2014, defeated Adesokan in the final of the last edition in Algeria but was unable to replicate that as the Nigeria won 21-12, 21-13 in the final of the women’s singles.
In the men’s singles, third-ranked Godwin Olofua surprisingly beat top seed, Paul, in the semi-finals to set up an all-Nigeria battle with Opeyori in the final. Opeyori won the clash 21-17, 16-21, 21-17 to win his first African title.
In the mixed doubles, Algeria’s Koceila Mammeri and Linda Mazri won their second successive African title as they beat Enejo Abbah and Peace Orji of Nigeria 15-21, 21-16, 21-18.
