By Leonard Okachie
The All Africa Para Badminton Championship began on Tuesday in Abia, with about 158 athletes from 12 countries competing for laurels in different categories.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the historic tournament, which features 19 events, is scheduled to run until Oct. 12, at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.
The All-Africa championship is coming after the just concluded First Abia Para Badminton International Tournament which held on Sept. 30 and Oct. 5, at the same venue.
Karin Bester, the Badminton World Federation-appointed referee for the tournament, said that the participating countries include: Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Congo DR, Egypt.
She listed other countries to include Mauritius, Mozambique, National Olympic Committee of Kenya, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and host Nigeria.
Bester, a South African, said that the players were competing at the group cum round robbing stage on the first day, after which they would qualify for the knock out segment.
In an interview, the President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, expressed gratitude to Gov. Alex Otti of Abia for the commitment and huge investment to ensure a successful historic events.
He said that the ongoing tournament was meant to produce the champion of Africa, whereas the First Abia Para Badminton International Tournament was opened to all the countries in the world.
Orbih expressed the federation’s excitement over the governor’s approval to host the second edition of Abia Para Badminton International Tournament in 2026.
“Abia has made it happen and we are very happy because this is the first time in West Africa to host the events back-to-back.
“Some countries will do it one year, the next year, they won’t do it again,” he said.
The elated Orbih further disclosed that Brazil, Peru and other countries that participated in the First Abia Para Badminton International, sent their kind words to describe the hospitality and organisation of the tournament.
“So what we are going to do is to try and improve on the performance of this year’s edition,” Orbih said.
(NAN)
