Kampala, the Ugandan capital hosted last week, from November 15 to 21 precisely, the international para badminton championship, 2021 edition. A badminton competition for people with disabilities in which our country brilliantly participated alongside the great badminton countries such as India, Brazil, Algeria, Russia, Canada, Russia or even Belgium, Ethiopia etc…. The Nigerians return home with a bronze medal in the wheelchair badminton category.
It should be noted that some twenty countries from five continents were present at the internationals held in Kampala, Uganda. The Nigerian badminton federation (FENIBAD) fielded four para-badista athletes in four categories in Kampala. Para-badge athlete Fati Hamidou Abdou ranked third in his category (Manual Wheelchair). She victoriously returned to the fold last Monday, crowned with the bronze medal around her neck. It thus places Niger just behind India and Côte d’Ivoire, which respectively occupy the 1st and 2nd place on the podium. To climb to third place on this world para-badminton podium in its category (which is a feat for a first participation), Fati Hamidou had to beat three of his competitors from Ethiopia, Mozambique and Ghana to pass in ¼ of the finals before losing in the ½ final against his Ivorian challenger. The three other athletes, who were not unworthy all the same and did not manage to achieve the feat of Mrs. Fati Hamidou Abdou, were very strongly applauded by the public. This bodes well for Nigerien badminton, provided that the authorities continue to provide the necessary support to the very young Nigerien badminton federation, which is in the consolidation phase. Niger’s participation in this international championship is a real reason for satisfaction for the Nigerien Olympic and Sports Committee (COSNI), which was not wrong to align FENIBAD, led by its president Mr. Abdoulaye Hassane Issoufou, among the federations members of COSNI for nearly a year. The ambition of FENIBAD is to make badminton a widely practiced sport in Niger and consequently make our country a nation that counts in the concert of nations in the field of badminton. It should be remembered that within the framework of the development of badminton in Niger, FENIBAD deploys a great deal of effort and has organized numerous activities both in Niamey and within the country, such as Shuttle Time, the national championship and badminton youth camps. In addition to the athletes who participated in the Kampala internationals alongside players from twenty other countries, Niger also participated in the training program for badminton classifiers, administrators and coaches. It is a program supported by the AGITOS foundation within the framework of the partnership with the world badminton federation. In addition to the training and the medal garnered, the Nigerian Badminton Federation also obtained a wheelchair adapted to para-badminton.
Zabeirou Moussa (onep)
