By Kenneth Orusi, Managing Editor
ASABA — The fourth edition of the South-South Under-13 Badminton Tournament has commenced in Delta State, with organisers reaffirming their commitment to grassroots development and the discovery of young talents for the sport.
The tournament, which brings together young badminton players from the South-South region, is being organised to provide children with an opportunity to develop their sporting abilities while giving them a productive pathway beyond formal education.
Speaking on Friday August 14, 2026, at the indoor sports hall of the Stephen Keshi International Stadium in Asaba, the State capital at the commencement of the competition, Chairman of the Delta State Badminton Association and South-South representative on the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Felix Awala Tangbe, said the initiative was designed to catch talents young and nurture them into future national and international players.
Tangbe said the competition was being held across the six South-South states, although only three teams were able to participate in the current edition due to financial and logistical constraints.
He explained that Delta and Edo states were represented, alongside the NMPC Badminton Club, while efforts would continue to encourage greater participation from other states in subsequent editions.
According to him, the tournament is driven largely by a passion for badminton and a desire to create opportunities for children who show potential in the sport.
“I am a badminton player. I played badminton from the beginning and it is a game that I love. It is a passion,” Tangbe said.
He added that seeing the growing number of children participating in badminton in Asaba had strengthened his resolve to invest in the development of the sport.
“Seeing the children and the crowd of children here gives me the motivation that we have our future badminton players in this state,” he said.
Tangbe expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded through the tournament, noting that one of the players discovered through the Under-13 programme had gone on to represent Nigeria at the national level.
He said the development had demonstrated that sustained investment in grassroots badminton could produce athletes capable of competing at the highest level.
“Currently, we have a female player in the national team who started from the Under-13 tournament here. That is the dream, the aim and the objective. We are getting there,” he said.
He expressed optimism that more players discovered through the programme would eventually progress into Nigeria’s junior and senior national teams.
Despite the absence of corporate sponsorship, Tangbe disclosed that he had continued to personally finance the tournament because of his commitment to the development of young players.
He estimated that more than N4 million would be spent on the current edition, covering medals, trophies, officials’ allowances and other logistics.
He explained that the organisers had moved away from cash prizes for age-group competitions in line with guidance from the Badminton Federation of Nigeria and the Badminton World Federation.
Instead, participants would receive sporting equipment and other gift items, including rackets, shuttlecocks and sports footwear, to encourage them to remain committed to the game.
Tangbe, however, called for greater support from governments, corporate organisations and other stakeholders, stressing that sustainable development of grassroots sports required collective investment.
He acknowledged the financial realities confronting governments but urged stakeholders to contribute whatever support they could toward nurturing young sporting talents.
The tournament is expected to provide participating children with competitive exposure while promoting discipline, teamwork and healthy development through sport.
