The 6th Lagos International Badminton Classics at the Molade Okoya Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos experienced an unexpected turn of events during its final day. On a Saturday, an incident involving a gas-laden tanker occurred at the base of the Stadium Bridge, threatening to disrupt the tournament proceedings.
The accident unfolded when the tanker driver collided with a barrier at the entrance of the bridge, resulting in a gas leak from the vehicle. Promptly, emergency personnel took action by cordoning off the affected area to address the hazardous situation.
Amid the commotion caused by this unforeseen event, two American badminton players slated to compete against their Indian counterparts in the Women’s Singles final found themselves stuck in the traffic gridlock generated by the accident.
As a consequence of the turmoil, the finals of both the Women’s Double and Single events, featuring competitors Lauren Lam and Paula Lynn Cao from the United States against the Indian pair of Sirran Singhi and Ritika Thaker, were declared walkovers after only ten minutes had elapsed.
Francis Orbih, the President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), made an appeal to the event officials to postpone the matches temporarily to accommodate the delayed arrival of the American duo. However, the Indian team declined the request, citing adherence to the rules of the game, which dictated a walkover in the event of a ten-minute delay.
In other matches, Jonathan Matias triumphed over Pablo Abian of Spain in a closely contested Men’s Singles match, with Fabio Caponio of Italy and Dmtny Panarin of Kazakhstan sharing joint third place.
For the Women’s Singles, Ines Lucia Castilo-Salazar of Peru secured victory over Lauren Lam from the USA, while Rachel Darragh of Ireland and Juliana Vaiana Viera of Brazil tied for third place.
Regarding the unfortunate incident, Orbih expressed the federation’s intention to address the matter with the international governing body of badminton. He emphasized the exceptional circumstances caused by the accident on the bridge and the resulting traffic, which led to the American team’s delay and ultimate disqualification. Despite efforts to reschedule the matches, differing opinions within the sport’s governing bodies left the situation unresolved.
Nevertheless, the event witnessed remarkable sportsmanship, particularly in the Men’s Singles final, which captivated the audience with thrilling performances. Orbih concluded by acknowledging the tournament’s impressive records and achievements while asserting their commitment to addressing the issues raised with the African and international badminton governing bodies.
