Anuoluwapo Opeyori has won a gold medal in the badminton men singles event at the 2023 All Africa Senior Championships held in South Africa.
The Nigerian number one badminton player had his latest victory as he defeated Julien Paul of Mauritius (18-21, 21-13, 21-18).
With his latest win, Opeyori has added to earlier titles won in Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 2019 and Kampala, Uganda in 2022.
He had also won the Men’s Singles title at the African Games in Morocco in 2019 to make it four titles in five years.
His spirit was initially dampened following the inability of four of his teammates (out of a ten-man team) to obtain entry visa into South Africa for the competition.
The affected players were: Aliyu Alhaji Shehu, Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan, Sofiyat Arinola Obanishola and Ramatu Yakubu.
It is worthy of note that this is the second time in recent years that a Nigerian contingent to the All Africa Senior Championships will have serious and demoralizing problems regarding their visas.
The first was when the team was traveling to Egypt for the All Africa Senior championships in 2020.
His drive, youth, strength, determination and skill saw him stepping unto the courts with a strong message when he easily routed Mauritius player, Julien Paul in two straight sets during the Mixed Team event part of the 2023 All Africa Senior Championships.
Opeyori began the individual event easily outstroking Trinity Chimpumho of Zimbabwe 21-8, 21-9. Next to succumb to his firepower was Ruan Snyman who also fell in two straight sets of 21-11 and 21-16 at the Round of 16.
Only Zambia’s Kalombo Mulenga showed a little resistance. But ‘Huricane Opeyori’ blew him away after the Zambian narrowly took the first set at 19-21.
Opeyori with fury of thunder smashed out the Zambian 21-10 in the next set and 21-19 in the third set of the quarter-final duel to win the match.
With the games getting tougher as the championship tie beckoned, Anuoluwapo Opeyori won the semi-finals against another homeboy, Robert Summers, 21-19 and 21-15 before his title match with the Mauritian.
It’s a new beginning, remarked the Badminton Federation of Nigeria president, Francis Orbih who admitted that the sport in Nigeria suffered a setback following an initial internal wrangling that was only resolved last year.
