Orbih’s Observatory: Ways forward for Badminton in 2025

For Francis Orbih, President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), the outgoing Year 2024 brought so much to cheer for badminton despite not finishing on the podium at the Paris Olympics with initial expectations. Going forward, the erstwhile chairman of Lagos State Badminton Association of Nigeria (LSBA) believes badminton and, indeed, Nigerian sports can break new grounds with more painstaking efforts in this conversation with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN…

After some ground-breaking efforts as chairman of Lagos State Badminton Association of Nigeria (LSBA), Francis Orbih in 2017 took a giant leap and was elected the President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN).

Seven years down the line, the sport of badminton has not been the same in the country, with some of the country’s badmintonists such as Anuoluwapo Opeyori and Eniola Bolaji staking their claims for glory on the African continental and global sphere.

Reviewing 2024, Orbih would be the first to admit that there were many cheerful moments as far as badminton is concerned, adding that failure of the country to win a medal at both the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and Paris 2024 Paralympics was not for lack of efforts.

“My best memories (of 2024) are Eniola Bolaji’s history-making bronze medal at the Paralympics, becoming the first African to win a medal in badminton at the Olympics or Paralympics,” Orbih, who instituted the Lagos International Badminton Classics, stated. “Also, Anuoluwapo Opeyori’s performance at the Olympics where even though he lost 21-17, 21-17 to China’s world number 6, his performance was adjudged one of the best by any African player.

“Eniola ended on the podium with a bronze medal, becoming the first African to do so in badminton or Para badminton. Even though I was disappointed that Anu didn’t make the podium, I was satisfied with his performance and the fact that he became the first badminton player to captain team Nigeria to the Olympics.”

Regarded as one of the astute administrators in the current Nigeria’s sporting ecosystem, Orbih, who is also a council member of the Badminton Confederation Africa (BCA), said he was not totally disappointed about the turn of events at Paris 2024 because he had a modest expectation going to the quadrennial games that was held with pomp and ceremony by France.
“I told everyone who cared to listen that we were not expecting a podium finish at the Olympics but was optimistic about one at the Paralympics, which is what happened,” he noted.

“I can say we managed our expectations and were realistic. Definitely, we would have done better if we were better prepared. Preparation was inadequate.”

One of the issues that have befuddled sports in Nigeria for many decades has been lack of adequate preparations before major global events such as the Olympic Games.
But Orbih reckoned it was on the basis of this poor preparation palaver that the Badminton Confederation Africa recently launched its campaign towards podium finish as the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in Abuja.
“Nigeria was picked by the Badminton Confederation Africa as the host of its media launch of the Road to LA2028 because of Eniola Bolaji’s achievement at the Paralympics,“ a proud Orbih, a lawyer, enthused. “The whole essence of the launch is to trigger early preparation by supporting players with attendance of tournaments and training camps way ahead of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.”

Under Orbih’s observatory, the BFN over the years has begun to popularise badminton with a catch-them-young programme at school level and he admitted that is one of the ways to go in order to erase the notion that the sport is only for the elites.

“It is an on-going project and we believe, in a matter of time, the results will become very evident. We gave the programme more attention in 2023 and I can tell you that we have covered a lot of grounds,” Orbih said of the badminton-to-school programme, adding that some budding talents will soon be taking the courts by storm. “Yes, we have new players coming up and what they need is more support to get them to attend more tournaments that will get them exposed and garner more world ranking points.”

He added that the BFN was also exploring other frontiers in order to improve the standard of badminton in Nigeria.

“Of course, we are seeking other ways of improvement,” he explained. “The technical aspect of the game in the area of coaching and officiating is also very important.

“This is one of the major reasons we just organised a Para-badminton training camp and a BWF Grade level 1 coaching course which just ended a few days ago.

“The technical department of the game needs a boost. It is a fundamental foundation for the growth and development of the game,” he added. Post Paris 2024, sports in Nigeria are now undergoing some sort of revival under the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Tinubu which saw the scrapping of the Ministry of Sports Development to a return to the National Sports Commission (NSC).

The vastly experienced Orbih said he was in agreement with President Tinubu by the appointment of both Mallam Shehu Dikko and Honourable Bukola Olopade as the Chairman and Director General of the NSC respectively, but not without a caveat in order to rejuvenate Nigerian sports in all ramifications.

He said on the way forward for both the NSC and Nigerian sports: “Having been part of the sports sector for a long time, I believe they are both grounded and have a good idea of what the fundamental challenges are.

“Be that as it may, I would advise that they focus more on grassroots development rather than participation in events alone.

“Whenever we have to participate in events, more attention should be paid to adequate preparation. Also, they need to give more attention to the decay of our sport infrastructure.

“Finally, they should give priority to the implementation of the National Sports Industry Policy that was passed some time ago,” he concluded.

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