Badminton Rankings: NSC celebrates Eniola Bolaji’s rise to world number one
The National Sports Council has celebrated Nigeria’s Eniola Bolaji after becoming the world number one badminton player in the women’s SL3 category following the latest rankings released by the Badminton World Federation.
Bolaji achieved the feat after she won a silver medal at the recently concluded 2026 Para-World Badminton Championships in Bahrain, usurping Indonesia’s Qonitah Ikhtiar from the top seat.
“The commission commends her dedication, resilience, and excellence, noting that this achievement reflects the growing impact of Nigeria’s renewed high-performance drive and aligns with the vision of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigerian Sports Economy (RHINSE) to produce world-class athletes and sustainable sporting success,” the NSC said.
The achievement meant that Eniola became the first Nigerian and African to attain the world number one ranking in para-badminton, marking the latest accolades in her illustrious career after the historic Paris 2024 Paralympic bronze medal.
She also won a gold medal in the Women’s SL3 category at the 2025 British & Irish Para-Badminton International.
Reacting to her achievement in an Instagram post, Bolaji said, “The first of many greater things to come! It is my turn! I rose to World No. 1 after my historic silver at the World Para Badminton Championship! I am the first African to play in the finals of the World Championship.
“I am the first African to win a silver medal at the World Championship. I am the first African to win a bronze medal at the Paralympics. Back to back to back to back X17… And Champion! Nigeria is rising!”
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