World Badminton Stars Storm Nigeria For 3rd Lagos Classics

Eleven countries are currently in the city of Lagos, Nigeria in quest of glory for the 2017 International Badminton Classics Championship scheduled to take centre stage between Tuesday 25th July to 29thJuly 2017 at the Molade Okoya Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The tournament, which is in its third edition,  will feature 70 players in the male and female categories from 11 countries namely Portugal, Togo, Ghana, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Jordan, India, Italy, Benin Republic, Uganda and host country Nigeria to participate in five events of the championship which are men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

However, Team Nigeria will be looking to make a statement in the championship having previously participated in two Badminton Tournaments in Benin Republic and Ivory Coast with a result of 4 gold, 4 silver and 8 bronze medals in Benin tournament and 2 gold, 2 silver and 8 bronze medals in Ivory Coast competition to maintain top spot rankings in both championships .

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Sports/ Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Deji Tinubu has stated that the Badminton Classics is part of a series of International sporting events geared towards attracting the best continental and global sports talents to the shores of Nigeria in pursuance of the sports developmental agenda of the state government.

He maintained that nothing will stop Team Nigeria from taking other competing teams apart despite participation from European counterparts, noting that the home support will be overwhelming for other teams to behold.

He said the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Sports Commission is working in collaboration with the National Badminton Association of Nigeria to ensure the organization of the tournament is of international standards.

The chairman noted that the Classics is also intended to elevate the level of sports competition in the state by giving the state’s athletes the needed competitive edge and exposure. Tinubu, however, charged the players and supporters to be of good conduct during the tournament and co-exist in harmony and share the joy of the games.

Team Nigeria will be parading the 25 players that represented the country in Ivory Coast and Benin Republic, with its best hands like Grace Gabriel who is based in Holland as a professional badminton player and a onetime African Champion in the male category and Dorcas Adesokan who has bright chances of representing Nigeria in the next Olympic Games considering her recent rating by The Badminton Confederation of Africa BCA after winning the women’s singles in Benin Republic.