THE National Sports Commission (NSC) has commended Nigeria’s para-badminton star, Eniola Mariam Bolaji, for achieving the historic feat of becoming the World No.1 in the Women’s SL3 category.
 
Bolaji climbed to the summit of the global rankings with 63,950 points, displacing Indonesia’s Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh, following her outstanding performance at the World Para Badminton Championships, where she reached the final and claimed a silver medal.
  In doing so, she also became the first African athlete to play in the final of the World Championships in para-badminton.

Director General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, described Bolaji’s achievement as a defining moment for Nigerian sports.
 Olopade commended the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) for its strategic development of the sport and dedication to athlete welfare.
 
“If you take care of the athletes, they will always return with medals and global recognition,” Olopade said. “Eniola’s achievement reflects deliberate planning, proper support, and a merit-driven system. We congratulate her and the Badminton Federation for creating an enabling environment for her success.”
 
The Commission also extended appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support for sports development.
 “We thank Mr President for his consistent backing of Nigerian sports. Under this renewed commitment, Nigeria has hosted the Davis Cup after 19 years, successfully organised the Africa Run Conference, and delivered another world-class edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon. These milestones signal our determination to reposition Nigeria prominently within the global sports landscape,” Olopade stated.

This latest milestone adds to Bolaji’s growing legacy. At the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Bolaji made history as the first African athlete to win a medal in para-badminton at either the Olympics or Paralympics, securing a bronze medal in the Women’s Singles SL3 event.