Indians Dominate Lagos International Badminton Classics

The opening day of the 8th Lagos International Badminton Classics (LIBC) lived up to expectations, as the Teslim Balogun Indoor Sports Hall came alive with 64 thrilling matches played across four courts.

The action-packed start saw drama, upsets, and flashes of brilliance, setting the tone for what promises to be an unforgettable tournament.
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India, which arrived with the largest foreign contingent, emerged as the standout nation of the day, securing victories in 32 matches and underlining their strength across multiple categories.
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One of the earliest highlights came when Kalagotla of India dispatched Nigeria’s Rufai in the round of 64 in just 18 minutes.

However, in the men’s singles, there was a major upset as the tournament’s number two seed, Maisham (India), fell to Yoo of South Korea in straight sets, 21-8, 21-9, in the round of 32.
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The day’s biggest shock came from Indonesia’s Muhammad Yusuf, who stunned top seed N. Mueller of Switzerland in a gripping round of 16 clash, winning in 42 minutes.

Equatorial Guinea’s O. Solomon also delivered a surprise by knocking out the Indian tournament’s number six seed, L. Kalagotla, in straight sets (21-11, 21-18) in the men’s singles round of 16.
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In the women’s draw, India’s T. Sharma edged past P. Bharath of the UAE on Court 2, while Nigeria’s current number one and tournament second seed, S. Obanisola, advanced after defeating compatriot Ilori in the round of 16. O.

Obasanmi (Nigeria) progressed via a walkover against America’s D. Gupta.

However, it was a disappointing outing for Nigeria’s former number one, Dorcas Adesokan, who was beaten 21-13, 21-10 by India’s fifth seed, T. Mir, in the round of 32.
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With India’s players dominating proceedings on Day One, attention now turns to whether they can maintain their momentum as the competition intensifies.

Fans can expect more upsets, rivalries, and world-class badminton in the coming days of the Lagos International Badminton Classics 2025.
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Indians Dominate Lagos International Badminton Classics is first published on The Whistler Newspaper