Paralympic bronze medallist Eniola Bolaji has claimed her biggest career victory yet after defeating world No. 1 Qonitah Syakuroh to win the 2025 British and Irish Para Badminton International in Cardiff.
The world No. 2 triumphed in a thrilling 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 21-13) contest in the SL3 women’s singles final, held at the Sport Wales National Centre on Saturday, July 26.
Bolaji started brightly, taking the first set 21-16, but Syakuroh—Paralympic champion and top-ranked player in the world—fought back to claim the second set by the same scoreline. The deciding set was tense, with Syakuroh leading until the 13th point, before Bolaji launched a powerful run from 11 points to take the set 21-13 and seal the title.
Her victory marks a sweet revenge against Syakuroh, who had beaten her in the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
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Bolaji’s path to the title was dominant from the start. She opened her campaign with a 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) win over Celine Vinot of Australia in Round 2. She then dispatched world No. 10 Milena Surreau of France 2-0 (21-8, 21-18) and crushed India’s Sanjana Kumari 2-0 (21-5, 21-15).
In the semifinals, Bolaji faced Vinot again and made an even bolder statement, dropping just 12 points across both sets to win 2-0 (21-4, 21-8) and book her spot in the final.
President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, praised Bolaji’s victory as a reward for her relentless effort and drive.
“I am excited with this victory because she just defeated the world number one, whom she lost to in the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” he said.
“Bolaji has shown significant improvement, and we hope she maintains this momentum heading into the next Paralympic Games. BFN, BCA and the National Sports Commission are proud of her continuous efforts in putting Nigeria and Africa on the global badminton map.”
Bolaji’s latest success adds to her growing reputation as one of Africa’s top para-badminton athletes and a strong medal contender for upcoming international competitions, including the next Paralympic Games.
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