Nigeria’s top-rated shuttlecock player and two-time Olympian, Anuoluwapo Opeyori, is elated to have secured his fifth straight men’s singles continental title and seventh overall at the recently concluded 2025 All-Africa Senior Badminton Championships in Doula, Cameroon. Yet the 27-year-old Opeyori , who captained Team Nigeria at Paris 2024, is optimistic that many greater things would be achieved this year, reports TUNDE LIADI
Anuoluwapo Opeyori was vicious on the court at the recently held 2025 All Africa Senior Badminton Championships in Douala, Cameroon as he defeated 2021 champion and Egypt’s Adham Elgamal in in two straight set sets (21-7, 23-21) to clinch the continental title yet gain.
“Make it rain boy, you have done it,” Opeyori gushed in a spontaneous of joy on his X (formerly Twitter) account after he clinched victory in Douala. “To God be the glory, 5x for the senior Championship and 2x for the Games make it 7x.
“Thank you, everyone, @badminton_nigeria; @badminton_africa; @everyone can’t appreciate the support enough,” he added.
To say that Opeyori has seen it all as a badmintonist in a career spanning over two decades is stating the obvious. He was first selected to join Nigeria senior national team in 2017 and has since been the man to beat at the African Championships.
The Nigerian second seed has been unbeaten in the event since 2022 and hopes to extend his dominant display beyond the continent , adding he has set his sight on improving in all other tournaments coming up this year.
It’s an incredible feeling (to have won five successive African title) , and I feel elated for such excellent performance and achievement, I’m happy and grateful,” Opeyori exclusively told NationSport. “I feel so happy that a Nigerian is getting this medal because it’s very important for us.
“I am also very happy that I am able to put in a very good record in Africa.
“It’s been a very long week; right now I will just have to refresh myself for subsequent competitions in the year.”
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It has taken Opeyori a dint of hard work and perseverance to attain thus level yet the seventh time African champion said he won’t be taking his recent continental conquest in Douala for granted , adding there are other better badminton players who are also ready to stake a claim for the crown he has held since 2022.
“I have never thought i would get here, having a good streak and escaping so many players who trained just to beat me,” Opeyori further told NationSport. “It’s something I never imagined,” he continued.
At the Championships in Douala, Nigeria didn’t reach the final of the team event but won bronze in the mixed doubles and men’s double to cap off a remarkable performance in Cameroun.
The women’s singles title went to Egypt’s Nour Ahmed Youssri, who reclaimed her 2022 gold with a 21-7 21-14 result over compatriot Doha Hany.
Egypt had another shot at gold in the last match, but Elgamal and Hany could not take the court for the mixed doubles final against Algeria’s Koceila Mammeri/Tanina Violette Mammeri.
It was the second title for Koceila, as he and Youcef Sabri Medel were dominant in the men’s doubles final over Mauritius’ Jean Bernard Bongout/Georges Julien Paul, 21-19 21-9.
Mammeri now has 14 titles overall from the continental championship, including six men’s doubles gold medals with Medel and five consecutive mixed doubles titles with Tanina Violette, besides two (mixed doubles) with Linda Mazri.
The women’s doubles gold went to South Africa’s Amy Ackerman/Johanita Scholtz, who prevailed over Algeria’s Yasmina Chibah/Linda Mazri 24-22 21-10.
Having seen the decline in the nation’s results and overall performance in the mixed, doubles and women’s singles from the just concluded competition in Cameroon as well as the Tokyo and Paris Olympic, Opeyori said he has learned to prepare better in order to make meaningful impact at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
“To achieve more than just doing well (at LA 2028),” Opeyori said of his set objective ahead of the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 following his rousing performances at Paris 2024.
“In Tokyo, I realised how strong they are so I trained to match up and in Paris I showed that I could compete with them and I know next Olympic would be getting a medal.”
For those who has followed Opeyori ‘s trajectory on the court, one thing that has stood him over the years is his humility aside his puritanical devotion to the game that has now make him a household name across the continent .
Despite the accolades, Opeyori said he has started looking beyond his active sporting career, adding he dearly hopes to become a coach or a sports administrator when he finally after retires.
“Yes, to coach or to be a sports administrator after retirement, basically giving the years I have spent around sport, it’s the only thing I could do that I would enjoy,” he concluded.