Lagos is set to play host to 11 countries participating in the 2017, 3rd Lagos International Badminton Classics Championship scheduled to take place between Tuesday, 25th July and Saturday, 29th July 2017 at the Molade Okoya Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The tournament will feature 70 players in the Male and Female categories from Portugal, Togo, Ghana, Egypt, Srilanka, Jordan, India, Italy, Benin Republic, Uganda and host country Nigeria.
The participants will vie in five events – Men’s singles, Women’s singles, Men’s doubles, Women’s doubles and Mixed doubles – during the championship.
Speaking on the tournament, Special Adviser to the Governor on Sports / Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Deji Tinubu stated that the Badminton Classics is part of a series of Lagos 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 overcoming other competing teams despite the fact that some are from Europe, noting that the home support will be overwhelming for the Nigerian Team.
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 that the organisation of the tournament meets international standards.
While emphasising that the Classic 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 charged players and supporters to display good conduct during the tournament and coexist in harmony as well as share the joy of the games.
Team Nigeria will be parading the 25 players that represented the country in Ivory Coast and Benin Republic including Grace Gabriel (M), a Holland-based based professional Badminton player and a one-time African Champion in the male categories as well as Dorcas Adesokan (F) who won the women singles in a competition held in Benin Republic.
