Photo Credit: Punch Newspapers / Lagos International Badminton Classics
Nigeria Bounces Back With 4 Pairs in Mixed Doubles Quarter-Finals at Lagos Badminton Classics
Team Nigeria recovered from an early setback in the women’s singles to secure four spots in the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles at the 9th Lagos International Badminton Classics.

The tournament is taking place at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Nigeria Institute of Sports, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, from Wednesday to Saturday.

Nigeria had a tough start in the women’s singles Round of 32, where seven players including national number one Ruth Ebere crashed out. Ebere lost to India’s Surya Tamiri, while Tolulope Oluwadamilola, Kadijat Emiola, Ifeoluwa Ojo, Precious Oluwagbotemi, Peace Jonah and Naomi Tanko also exited at the same stage.

But the host nation showed strong form in the mixed doubles:
• Victor Ikechukwu & Kadijat Emiola beat Uganda’s Ray Nsubuga & Tracy Naluwooza 21-18, 21-12 • Saidu Aliyu & Christiana Obasanmi advanced via walkover against India’s Sai Pratheek & Srinidi Narayan • Kayode Abdulateef & Cynthia Feranmi defeated Ghana’s Ofori Acheampong & Racheal Quarcoo 21-15, 23-21 • Usman Afolabi & Zainab Alabi came from behind to beat S. Munnangi (UAE) & Stret Yellapragada (Australia) 14-21, 21-13, 21-17 Top seeds Dhruv Rawat and Mannesha K got a bye, while other foreign pairs also progressed to the last eight.

In the women’s singles quarter-finals, USA’s No. 2 seed Disha Gupta will face UAE’s Myssha Khan, Czech Republic’s No. 3 seed Petra Maixnerova meets Ania Setien, UAE’s No. 4 seed Prakriti Bharath takes on Prasha Bonam, and Hungary’s No. 7 seed Agnes Korosi will play India’s Surya Tamiri, who stunned top seed Azzahra of Azerbaijan 21-13, 21-18.
Source: Punch Newspapers