Top players from 14 countries within and outside Africa including host – Nigeria will on Wednesday June 4 begin hostilities as the Lagos International Badminton Classics serves off at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park in Lagos.
From the list of players taking part in the four-day championship, Israel’s Siberman Mishan and South Africa’s Elme De Villieres have been seeded number one in the men and women singles events while two Nigerians – Dorcas Adesokan and Fatima Azeri are also seeded third and fourth respectively in the women division.
With the venue wearing new look while all the participants have arrived for the competition, the race for the $15,000 prize money takes off with players competing in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events.
Also seeded in the top five of the men’s event includes United States’ Howard Shu, Czech Republic’s Jan Frohliah, India’s Subhankan Deyi and Italy’s Giovanni Greco.
Despite not been rated among the top five of the championship, Nigeria’s Abah Enejoh believes the rating would not prevent them from facing any of the top ranked player.
Enejoh, who is the highest rated Nigerian player in the world, is hopeful that with the good atmosphere put together for the tournament, nothing is impossible for them to achieve.
“In badminton, anything can happen because most of the foreign players coming to Lagos have played against some of us in the past and so for us, we are not afraid of their rating as what we look forward to is to do well in court,” he said.
Also, the President of Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA), Larry Keys arrived Nigeria with his secretary general to be part of the competition.
The participating teams are United States, France Canada, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Botswana, South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, Austria, Italy, Israel, Slovakia, Czech Republic, India and New Zealand.
With the backing of Badminton World Federation (BWF) and BCA, the tournament will help the players to garner points to improve their world rating.
As a BWF-sanctioned event listed as an International Challenge series, the classics is expected to help Nigerian players to improve their world rating as well as play against some of the top rated players in the world.
Oba Dr. Adedapo Tejuoso, the Osile of Oke-Ona will be the special guest during the grand finale on Saturday June 7.