Sports
NIGERIA and Africa’s top players, Dorcas Adesokan, Anuoluwapo Opeyori and Godwin Olofua, will begin their quest for Olympic qualification at the 2019 Egypt International tournament.
The tournament serves off on Thursday but the trio will join the action on Friday in the main draws in the round of 32. The competition will end on Sunday.
Adesokan (Africa’s No. 1 one female player), Opeyori (Africa’s No.2 one male player) and Nigeria’s second best men’s player, Olofua, will all play in the Singles event.
Opeyori and Olofua will also do battle in the Men’s Doubles.
After the Cairo tournament, the Nigerian stars will move to Algiers to take part in the 2019 Algeria International Championships holding from Oct. 24 to Oct. 27 after which they will return home.
The quest continues with a tight and physically demanding schedule in Cameroon International from Nov.14 to Nov.17, and the Scottish Open Nov. 20 Nov. to 24.
Zambian International holds from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 and a host of other meets in South Africa, Italy and Sweden among others.
According to the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), this drive is to ensure that the players garner as much ranking points as possible to stay in contention for the race for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The players, who have expressed preparedness for the rigorous and demanding tasks ahead, have assured the BFN of their determination to give their best at the tournaments.
Opeyori said that they were ready for the task ahead while commending the BFN for believing in the players to deliver the goods.
He said that playing and doing well in many tournaments would help them to garner enough points to hopefully make it to Tokyo.
“I am hopeful that the three of us will make it to Tokyo. We are prepared for the task ahead and we have trained hard. All we need do is to give our best at these tournaments,’’ Opeyori said.
The BFN is leaving no stone unturned in the all-important mission of securing spots in the Tokyo Olympics. (NAN)
– Oct 17, 2019 @ 16:32 GMT |
Tags: Badminton: Nigeria’s top players begin quest for Olympic points
