Nigerian Badminton star, Anuoluwapo Opeyori is targeting his fifth title in the singles category at the African Badminton Championships in Doula, Cameroon.
The highly-rated player won the title in the last edition of the tournament in 2024 to follow up his dominance in 2019, 2022, 2023 which further boosted his rankings in Africa.
He started his campaign in Cameroon with an impressive 13-12, 21-10, 21-12) win over Zambia’s Kalombo Mulenga on Monday to ensure a winning start for Nigeria.
Opeyori has set his sights on making history by winning the title for the fifth time, while also hoping to lead Nigeria to the team title, which they last won in 2019.
He said: “My preparation was well executed, and I am now ready for the games ahead. I know the competition will be tough, and I am determined to defend my title.
“We have trained very hard as a team because this time, we want to fight for the gold medal in the team event as well. This will be a great experience for my team and me. We know that several teams are strong and well-balanced, but we are ready to give everyone a good fight.”
Nigeria will battle it out with Mauritius, Zambia and Equatorial Guinea in the Group C of the team event.
The Championship will serve as the qualification tournament for the Sudirman Cup Finals, one of the most prestigious mixed team events in the world.
Opeyori has dominated Africa in the men’s singles from 2019 till date, winning four African Championship titles and two African Games titles.
He also became the first Nigerian badminton player to qualify for two consecutive Olympics after featuring at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
At the last edition of the tournament in Cairo, Nigeria won one gold, two silver, and four bronze medals.
I Will Make Nigeria Proud At African Badminton Championship – Opeyori is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
