Preparations are in top gear for the upcoming All Africa Senior Badminton Championship in Port Harcourt next month with closed camping set to commence this month.
This was made known to ACLSports.com by the President of the Nigeria Badminton Federation, Francis Orbih.
Orbih disclosed that closed camping for the All African Senior Badminton Championship will commence immediately after the governorship elections in Nigeria.
“We have to put up a very good team so we had to start early. Our players are already in open camp and after the elections we will bring them into camp in Port Harcourt and it will be a closed camp. While they are there, the Chinese technical adviser will come meet them up. We are going to make sure we have a very strong team to play the championship and come out victorious,” said Orbih.
The Lagos State Badminton chairman said the Badminton Federation have worked on the grey areas recorded during the 2018 Rivers Governor’s National Badminton Championship last December in Port Harcourt.
“We had the National Championship in December which was a test run and we have seen areas where we need to improve upon and things where we need to do better. I think we are good to go bearing in mind this is the first time we are hosting in 19 years. The year 2000 was the last time we hosted. How will a country like Nigeria not host an African championship for this long?
Orbih expressed his desires to host the best Championship in Africa and also win it.
“It’s a major achievement and major development for us, we want to host the best that Africa has ever hosted. The secretary general was here in January to inspect the venue, facility and a meeting with the board in Port Harcourt and he was impressed. We are building on that thanks to the River State Government who has decided to sponsor the event to a large extent. I am not sure we will have any issue, we are preparing very well hosting is not enough for us we want to host to win not by all means but fair and square,” Orbih stated.
Orbih said opportunity will be given to junior players to break into the national team but they have to earn it.
“We have some of the junior players who by ranking have been invited to the national camp and we gave wild card to four of the top junior players to join them in camp and when they are in camp they will play some trials if they are able to break into the team, then its fine.
Six boys and six girls will represent Nigeria at the All African Senior Badminton Championship scheduled for April 22-28 at the Alfred Diete Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt.
