The head coach of Kwara State Badminton Team, Bello Oyebanji lost his life in a ghastly car accident along Oyo/Ogbomosho expressway.
www.aclsports.com gathered that that the National para badmintion player was on his way to Lagos to get his visa ahead of an Olympic qualifier in preparatory for the Tokyo Paralympics.
Bello Oyebanji led Kwara state women’s badminton team to win gold medal at the recently concluded National Sports Festival in Benin City, Edo state
Confirming the incident, the Director of Sports Kwara state, Alarape Atanda told www.aclsports.com that Bello Oyebanji, a staff of the sports council did not survive the accident.
Atanda said late Oyebanji was a dedicate coach and player who put Kwara state on the map in badminton.
He said, “It is with a sorrowful heart I disclose to you that Bello Oyebanji is no more. The last assignment he partook was the recently concluded National Festival where badminton won 5 medals consisting of 1 gold and 4 bronze medal”.
“He was on his way to Lagos to secure travel documents in preparations for the Tokyo Paralympics qualifiers but it is unfortunate he is no more. This is a big loss to Kwara state and the badminton family”, Atanda said.
Nigeria’s Bello Oyebanji won two bronze medals in the male’s singles SL3 and the double categories at the maiden International Africa Para-Badminton Championships in 2016 in Kampala, Uganda.
The Standing Lower (SL 4) player, a triple gold medallist at the African Para-Badminton Championships in 2018
Late Bello started playing badminton with able-bodied participants 17 years ago, and then decided to take up coaching.
