Nigeria’s para badminton sensation, Eniola Bolaji, on Sunday, won a silver medal at the 2026 British & Irish Para Badminton International.
The Paralympic bronze and world championship silver medallist lost 2-0 (21-18, 23-21) to Japan’s Shino Kawai in the SL3 women’s singles final at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena in Dublin.
Bolaji, however, had an impressive run to the final, recording wins over India’s Neeraj 2-0 (21-15, 21-3) and France’s Milena Surreau 2-0 (21-19, 21-13) during the group stage.
The multiple African champion continued her dominant form by defeating Türkiye’s Halime Yildiz 2-0 (21-16, 21-7) in the quarter-finals before cruising past Australia’s Celine Vinot 2-0 (21-7, 21-9) in the semi-finals.
President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, commended Bolaji for another outstanding performance on the international stage, described her display in Dublin as fantastic while expressing confidence that the Nigerian star has what it takes to defeat Shino Kawai in future competitions.
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According to Orbih, the Federation is working on plans to secure an overseas training programme aimed at helping Bolaji close the gap with Shino, who dethroned her as world number 1.
Orbih said, “It was a fantastic performance, and I am very happy with what Eniola achieved. I am motivated to intensify efforts to ensure she trains outside the country because it is only a matter of time before she starts beating the Japanese player, Shino Kawai.
“I have congratulated her for setting the tone once again, and we are looking forward to arranging a three-month training tour abroad to further improve her game.”
Orbih also commended the support received from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Badminton Confederation Africa (BCA), saying that with sustained support and international exposure, Bolaji will continue to challenge for major titles ahead of future global competitions.
