Mariam Eniola Bolaji was the standout performer at the Africa Para Badminton Championships 2023, winning three gold medals as the event concluded in Kampala on Sunday.

The Nigerian won the mixed doubles (SL3-SU5) gold with Chigozie Jeremiah Nnanna, and returned shortly after for the women’s doubles (SL3-SU5) final with Chinyere Lucky Okoro. Local hopefuls Sumini Mutesi and Rose Nansereko couldn’t offer much of a contest as they went down to the Nigerian duo 21-5 21-8.

Bolaji’s third gold came in SL3 women’s singles as she outplayed Uganda’s Elizabeth Mwesigwa 21-9 21-4.

Bolaji’s mixed doubles partner Nnanna also finished with three gold. Apart from the mixed doubles, Nnanna also won the SL4 men’s singles, beating Uganda’s Hassan Mubiru 21-14 21-5, and the men’s doubles with Sunday Eze.

Overall, the event was dominated by Nigeria and Egypt. Hosts Uganda won a gold through Sarah Nazziwa in WH1 women’s singles. Nazziwa also earned a silver in mixed doubles (WH1-WH2) with Ali Mukasa and a doubles bronze with Egypt’s Shaimaa Samy Abdellatif.

Highlights

Abdellatif was among six double titlists, capturing the WH2 women’s singles and the mixed doubles.

Other two-gold winners from Egypt were Mohamed Hassan Mohamed and Atef Abdelkarim Mahmoud, both in wheelchair events.

Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Sunday Eze and Okoro also won two gold each. While Eze won SL3 men’s singles and SL3-SU5 men’s doubles, Okoro was successful in SL4-SU5 women’s singles, after partnering Bolaji for the women’s doubles crown.

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