Anuoluwapo Opeyori, a multiple gold medalist in the badminton event of the 2022 National Sports Festival (NSF), on Saturday, hinted at a possible retirement from participating in future festivals.

Opeyori has won the main honours in the consecutive festivals of 2018, 2020 and 2022 held in Abuja, Benin and Asaba.

Now he is saying he will consider giving other players a chance to win at the national event.

Opeyori won convincingly in Asaba in straight sets, from the preliminaries to the semi-finals, where he only dropped a set against Victor Ikechukwu from Rivers.

“I may be considering an exit from the NSF because I want other players to grow too. I have been champions for three consecutive times in the festival, and now the excitement is going down,” he told journalists.

“But the gold medal here at Delta 2022 is remarkable, and I am happy to defend the title I won in Benin.”

The national champion, however, said it had not been an easy route to pass.

“The pressure is always much on my shoulder as the champion. I am happy that I was able to absorb the pressure, attitudes, negative feelings and tricks to defeat me. I had to urge myself on.

“My next target is something bigger at the international scene, maybe the Olympics,” he said.

Opeyori’s coach, Maria Omonehin, while speaking on the player, said the state was already building players to replace him.

“Opeyori is a fantastic player, no doubt, but we are also on the path of raising players that can replace him.

“The younger players are responding, and by the time we are going for the next festival, we would have raised formidable players for the men and women categories,” she said.

Opeyori won three badminton gold medals at the 2022 NSF from the men’s singles, men’s doubles and team event competitions.

(NAN)