2018 was a tremendously busy one for Nigerian Badminton and came with laudable achievements.
From the inauguration of the BFN Board, we have continuously sought the support and understanding of members of the BFN Family as no meaningful progress could ever be made without effective collaboration.
With support and encouragement from all badminton stakeholders across the country, we were able to achieve the following successes in 2018.
• The National Team was in Algeria for the Thomas & Uber cup qualifiers/All Africa Senior championship, which held from 10-18 February.
• March saw four of our players jetting out to Indonesia on a 2-month long training camp. This came as a result of private sponsorship facilitated by the Board.
*In May, our female top player, Dorcas Adesokan left for Denmark for a one month training camp.
• For the first time ever, advertisement was placed for the position of National Coaches. It was followed up by an interview and selection process in Abuja.
• On the 5th of May, I left the country for China on a trip to seek for technical partnership and sponsorship for the game in Nigeria. The trip was successful as a lot of benefits accrued as a result.
• We secured sponsorship of a Chinese technical Adviser and assistant for the national team.
• Got a donation for the construction of a badminton gymnasium that will accommodate 10 courts, hostel, shops and offices to be located at the National Stadium in Abuja.
• Signed an MOU with the Beijing Sports University for technical support for the BFN. Part of the benefits includes the sponsorship of the mixed doubles pair of Eneojo Abah and Peace Orji Orji to the world Championship in China in August.
• We secured scholarship for two junior players namely Daniel Christopher and Khalil Shamsudeen to study in China – admission process is ongoing.
• We conducted two Umpire training courses within the year. One in May in Abuja for fresh umpires and the other, a refresher course in Lagos in July for old umpires.
• Still in April/May, our Para Badminton team travelled out to Uganda for the Africa Para Badminton Championship and the Uganda International Para Badminton championship. The outing was a huge success with the total haul of 8 gold,8 silver and 3 bronze medals. A member of the team, Bello Oyebanji is the African Number One Para Badminton player.
• We put in and won the bid to host the All Africa Senior Badminton Championship in Port Harcourt in 2019 (First time Nigeria will be hosting the championship in 19 years.)
• Sent the National Team on the West Africa circuit to play the Ivory Coast and Ghana Internationals in June and July 2018.
• The annual Lagos International Badminton Classics, the biggest of its kind in Africa was successfully held from 18-21 July with an even larger assembly of nations than the 3rd Edition.
. Also in July the Junior National team participated in the Africa Youth games in Algeria
• The 2nd Edition of the Golden Star Katsina, GSK National Badminton Championship held between the 28th August to 1st September, with yet another first: the Town Hall Meeting a huge success.
• The Mutual Benefits National Badminton Championship held its 2nd Edition successfully at the Police College, Ikeja Badminton Hall between 13th to 17th November.
• While the Mutual Benefits Championship held, the Nigeria Sports Awards also held on the 16th November, bestowing the award, Sports Administrator of the Year on me. This award, for me was won by the entire badminton family in Nigeria for I wouldn’t have been able to achieve much without your support.
• The 1st Rivers Governor’s National Badminton Championship held in Port Harcourt from 19th to 22nd December. It was an event of many firsts: the first time a national badminton championship was ever held in Rivers State, the tournament with the highest prize money so far in Nigeria, the first time any national tournament was to hold on six courts.
It served as a test run for the All Africa Senior Badminton Championship billed for April, 2019.
• Within the period the Rivers Governor’s Championship held, I was elected as the 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee in a keenly contested elections held in Yola, Adamawa State.
• The Junior National team for the first time since its inception participated in the All Africa schools badminton championship in Ghana from the 14th to 20th of December winning 5 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze medals and emerging the overall winners of the Championship.
In retrospect, none of the above would have come to much fruition without the massive support, great love and understanding shown and given to me and the Board of the BFN. The successes recorded within the year is ours collectively. The whole family played a role to ensure all went well. It is said that when the crowd cheers, the dancers become bolder. The Badminton Family has done more than just cheer. It has inputted in no small measure towards our success. We remain open to suggestions and ideas that will help further improve the game of badminton in Nigeria.
We thank you all for the support and active participation in the course of the year’s activities as we appeal that we all do much more this year as it promises to be a year when we will consolidate and build on the solid foundation of last year.
The future sure looks bright for Badminton in Nigeria as we focus on taking our country back to the Pole Position in Africa and better positioned on the Global stage.
Thank you all and God bless.
Francis Orbih Esq.
President.
