NIGERIAN Paralympic bronze medallist Eniola Bolaji has clinched the 2025 British and Irish Para Badminton International title at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.
The world No. 2 secured a tough 2-1 victory (21-16, 16-21, 21-13) over Paralympic champion and world No. 1 Qonitah Syakuroh in the women’s SL3 final today.
Bolaji started strong, taking the first set 21-16, but Syakuroh responded with a 21-16 win in the second. In a tense third set, Syakuroh led until 13 points before Bolaji surged ahead from 11 to win 21-13 and secure the title.
Bolaji’s campaign began with a 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) victory over Australia’s Celine Vinot in Round 2. She then defeated world No. 10 Milena Surreau of France 2-0 (21-8, 21-18), followed by another dominant 2-0 (21-5, 21-15) win over India’s Sanjana Kumari.
In the semi-finals, Bolaji faced Celine Vinot again and won 2-0 (21-4, 21-8) to advance to the final, where she won her biggest international title to date.
An elated President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, described Bolaji’s victory as a testament to her hard work and perseverance.
Orbih noted that defeating the world No. 1, whom Bolaji had previously lost to in the semi-finals of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, shows she is ready for greater challenges ahead.
He said, “I am excited with this victory because she just defeated the world number one, whom she lost to in the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
“Bolaji has shown significant improvement, and we hope she maintains this momentum heading into the next Paralympic Games. BFN, BCA and the National Sports Commission are proud of her continuous efforts in putting Nigeria and Africa on the global badminton map.”