Indians Dominate Podium at 9th Lagos International Badminton Classics

Posted : 30 August 2026

Indian players dominated the podium at the 9th Lagos International Badminton Classics, winning three of the five titles available at the tournament.

The Indians emerged champions in the men’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles categories at the competition, which was held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Tankara Talasila defeated compatriot and training partner Hmar Laithazuala in a keenly contested final to win the men’s singles title.

Talasila, who was making his first appearance in Africa and Nigeria, said facing his friend and training partner made the final a difficult encounter.

“I feel so happy winning this competition, being my first time in Africa and Nigeria, but the win came at a difficult moment, playing against a friend and training partner.

“I played against a good friend who knows the pattern of my playing, which made it difficult for me, but in the end, Nigeria is special,” he said.

In the women’s doubles, Indian sisters Rutaparna and Swetaparna Panda defeated compatriots Kwripriya Selvam and Simpran Singhi to claim the title.

India also won the mixed doubles, with Dhuv Ramat and Katie Maneesha defeating compatriots Sathwik Kanapuram and Radhike Sharma.

The women’s singles title, however, went to 19-year-old Prakriti Bharath of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who defeated Petra Maixnerova of Czechia in the final.

Bharath described the victory as a memorable achievement, saying it was her first international gold medal.

“I feel really happy and grateful because this is my first final in an international challenge and I won it.

“It’s my lucky day, so I’m extremely happy because I have been to some of the international classics which I did not win,” she said.

The 19-year-old said her previous defeats in the round of 16 and quarter-finals had motivated her to work harder and learn from her mistakes.

“There were a lot of tournaments where I lost in the round of 16 or quarter-finals, so I feel like all that has helped me put in more hard work and learn from my mistakes.

“I feel like I put on a good show in this tournament because I faced an older player,” she said.

Bharath said she would intensify her preparations with the aim of winning more international tournaments and improving her world ranking.

“I’m playing the Cameroon International Challenge this week and next week. So, hopefully, I get good results there as well.

“I need to improve on my ranking and get better and hopefully be back in Nigeria next year. It’s good here,” she said.

In the men’s doubles, Thailand’s Thanawin Madee and Madee Pongsakom defeated UAE’s Bharath Latheesh and Dev Vishnu to win the gold medal.

Speaking at the end of the competition, Lekan Abdul, a board member of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), commended the Lagos State Government and the federation for successfully hosting the international tournament.

He said the state government had remained the major sponsor of the competition since its inception.

“The Lagos State Government has been the major sponsor from the very first edition of this tournament and till now we are still enjoying the same support even as we look forward to the 10th edition of the championship next year,” Abdul said.

He described the tournament as a celebration of excellence, sportsmanship and effective sports organisation, while commending all participating athletes, sponsors and organisers.

Abdul also acknowledged the contributions of sponsors AVIS, Rapide Logistics, Noble Serve Finance Ltd. and Sovereign Trust Insurance, saying their support helped the organisers overcome challenges in staging the tournament.

“Initially, it was almost impossible for us to host this tournament, but we thank the BFN family for their efforts. Everybody put in their best.

“We also thank our host, the National Institute for Sports, for being a wonderful host,” he said.

Dignitaries at the event included the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu; Director of Competition at the LSSC, Nunayon Travih; and other BFN board members.

The 9th Lagos International Badminton Classics brought together players from several countries to compete across five categories, highlighting the growing international appeal of badminton in Nigeria.

Indians Dominate Podium at 9th Lagos International Badminton Classics

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