The Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) has bestowed on Obiageli Solaja, the 2019 African Women in Badminton Award.
With this award, Solaja becomes the second recipient of the award, following that of Gretha Prinsloo of South Africa who received the 2018 award last year during the BCA Annual General Meeting in Nanning China.
The honour will be bestowed at the BCA Annual General Meeting 2020 at a date to be fixed later due to the current COVID-19 global pandemic.
Solaja, a seven-time African Women’s champion and 10-time Nigeria national champion in her playing days is one of the pioneers of badminton at the Olympics.
According to the BCA in a letter jointly signed by Michel T.Bau, President of the BCA and Meneoang Leshota, Chairperson, Women in Badminton dated 18th April 2020, the award is meant “to celebrate outstanding women in Africa who have contributed to the development of badminton in Africa by
demonstrating irreproachable attitude and dedication to the sport in their respective fields.”
“Her enormous contributions to the success of the 2019 All Africa Senior Championships in April, 2019 held in Port Harcourt, Nigeria” was given as one of the reasons for her choice as an awardee. This along
with her commitment to her assigned tasks and dedication to the overall success of the tournament from the initial planning stages of the championship to its completion.
“Her choice was also based on her career long achievements as a female badminton player in Nigeria and Africa when, as nee Oby Edoga, she won three gold medals in the Africa Senior Championships in 1996; Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
The other two from Mauritius are Martine de Souza and Marie-Josephe Jean Pierre.
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