I Will Make History At Tokyo Olympics, Africa’s Most Ranked Badminton Player, Adesokan, Boasts

Africa’s most ranked badminton player, Dorcas Adesokan, is eyeing to make history as first African badminton player to get a medal at the Olympics.

Adesokan who will represent Nigeria at the badminton female singles in Tokyo disclosed this in an interview with THE WHISTLER. 

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which was postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic, is just a few days ahead and 172 male and female athletes will compete for gold at the badminton event.

Since the game made its debut  at the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics as an official Olympic event, no African team has won a medal.

So far only 11 countries have successfully won an Olympic medal at the event.

China, Indonesia and Malaysia are ranked top three on the medal table.

But Dorcas believes that history could be re-written. But the women’s singles title is one of the most sought out competitions in Tokyo.

Adesokan said, “As a player, at least participating and representing your country means you are helping them and making them proud.

“As for me, I believe in the fact that I will continue and am not stopping. I am not giving up at least, back home in Ogun  people are getting to know badminton more. 

“Actually everybody will say we are targeting something high, but you know forgetting that being the first time going to the Olympics, there will be so many challenges.

” But for me, I just want to exploit every training I went through, everything I have  learned and make sure that I play my very best to bring something good. I don’t want to participate only, I want to compete and get the gold.”

Badminton World Federation said 43 women will compete at the singles event and Dorcas  will be competing against stars like the World No 1, Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei) who has held the title since 2016; Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) former World No 1; Chen Yufie (PR China), the current World No 2 and Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand).

She said, “This is something I have never experienced. There is this kind of fear of how it’s going to be. But it is not as if it is hard on me because I am getting prepared for it. 

” I have norms to face any challenge, but I am kind of thinking of how it is going to be. That feeling that I have not been there before, but I’m just ready for this kind of feeling. Am really prepared for it. “

Meanwhile, the continent’s No 1 said training facilities at the Nigerian camp needed to be phased out and replaced with more advanced equipment.

“Badminton is a very wide game, it is not as if they are not getting something right, the only thing you know is that the world is advancing so, they should  try to advance the coaches likewise with their equipment.

“The world is changing and everything is advancing, they should take the coaches for some tours to get more knowledge and also advance their equipment,” Adesokan said.