Paris 2024 Paralympic bronze medallist Eniola Bolaji has won a silver medal at the 2026 Para-Badminton World Championship in Bahrain, finishing runner-up in the women’s SL3 category.
Bolaji delivered a spirited performance in Saturday’s final but was edged out by Japan’s Shino Kawai, settling for second place in what marks her maiden podium finish at the World Championship level.
The Nigerian star’s journey to the final was impressive. She stormed past China’s Gaoying Yuan in the semi-finals with a commanding 21–12, 21–16 victory at the New Capital Indoor Hall, underlining her growing stature on the global stage.
Throughout the competition, Bolaji displayed remarkable consistency, recording straight-set wins over Australia’s Caitlin Dransfield, Brazil’s Adriane Ávila, France’s Milena Surreau, and Turkey’s world number five, Halime Yildiz.
Nigeria’s success in Bahrain was further boosted by Chigozie Nnanna, who clinched a bronze medal in the men’s SL4 category to become the first African male athlete to medal at the Para-Badminton World Championship.
With Bolaji’s silver and Nnanna’s bronze, Nigeria etched its name into para-badminton history, as both athletes emerged as Africa’s first medallists at the World Championship level.
Bolaji had earlier broken new ground at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where she became the first African to win a para-badminton medal after securing bronze, further cementing her status as one of the continent’s leading para-sports ambassadors.
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