Erelu Oluwatoyin Promises To Endorse Badminton Player.

Former Nigerian Badminton star,Erelu Oluwatoyin Adebayo Akintunde, has promised to sponsor a badminton player who emerge as an outstanding player in the maiden edition of Erelu Akintunde Lagos State Closed Badminton tourney at the Mobolaji Johnson Indoor Sportshall.

Erelu Akintunde, who is based in the Republic of Ireland, said the gesture was not only to give back to the society but to give hope to the badminton players who do not have opportunity to feature in regular tournaments despite being trained by credible badminton coaches.

The former All African Games Gold medalist, said she became an African champion due to exposure and motivation accorded to her, a move she explained that pave the way for her to feature in series of competition which fortified her to record excellent performances in most of the tournaments she featured.

According to her, she would used her contact to attract corporate bodies to support her quest to regenerate the standard of Badminton which according to her is in the state of doldrum and it needs a surgical operation to redeem the image of badminton in Nigeria.

The National Badminton champion,explained that she has concluded plans to start an age grade badminton clinic where she would invite reputable badminton coaches who would introduce the young badminton players to the rudiments of the sport, stressing that she is not happy with the state of the sport in Nigeria

In some of the games decided on Thursday,Iyanu Olukayode and Kehinde Onifade has qualified for the final of the Junior Girls while Stephen Iwalokun, Gbolahan Adeogun, Makinde Darry and Emmanuel Oloja are through to the quarter final of the Erelu Akintunde Badminton championship.

In the Senior Girls Singles,Okafor Victoria, Liatu Ezekiel,Ajunwa Emmanuel and Shade Akinyemi,are among the badminton players who qualified for the quarter final.

Oluwatoyin's past records showed that she had featured in World Junior Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1991, Switzerland World Open Championship, Malaysia World Open Championship,Gold Medalist, Zambia All African Games, 1993, Danish Open, 1998.

Finalist of Ikoyi Open, AP International, Oba Adesanoye Badminton Cup,Okin Malt Cup