Opeyori becomes first badminton player to lead team Nigeria at Olympic Games

Badminton player, Anuoluwapo Opeyori, has described his appointment to be the General Team Captain for Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Games as a higher call to service.

Opeyori sets a record as the first badminton player to lead the country at the Olympic Games.

His qualification for Paris 2024 has made him Nigeria’s first back-to-back badminton player at the Olympics.

He is one of the 173 badminton players at Paris 2024. He featured at the delayed Tokyo 2020 and will thus made a back-to-back appearance.

In France, he told the Sports Village Square that he is elated to be named to captain Nigeria and gave his gratitude to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) for the honour.

“I see it as a higher call to service”, remarked the badminton player, who is out to make history of becoming the best ever African badminton player at the Olympics.

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Prior to now, he had told BBC that: “my target is to get to the quarter-final because once I’m able to win one game, I believe that will be a big sign for everyone that I should be able to achieve more than that.”

From being out to end Africa’s Olympic badminton jinx comes the additional pressure to meet his aspirations.

He said there is no additional pressure. It is a higher call to service.

“I assure you that Team Nigeria shall make great marks at these Games.”

He remarked that the captainship has inspired him to be a role model to the athletes and youths of his generation.

“I am now compelled to be a leader and take care of the athletes’ welfare and lift their spirits. I am out to inspire them with the ‘can do’ spirit.

“We are moving from the realm of just participants to being strong competitors,” said Opeyori.

Proofreading, editing by Cara Luckson and Maryam Sulaiman, Editor and Journalist at Neptune Prime.

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