Anakwe Targets Fourth Consecutive Southeast Badminton Crown
Three-time Southeast Zonal Badminton Champion, Jovita Anakwe, has set his sights on a fourth consecutive title as the Bet9ja Southeast Zonal Badminton Championship heats up at the Indoor Sports Multipurpose Gymnasium Hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
Anakwe, who has dominated the tournament since its inception in 2022, described this year’s edition as “highly competitive and exciting,” crediting the rising quality of players across the zone. Ranked national No. 3 and world No. 400 in mixed doubles, the Enugu-born star admitted that defending his crown gets tougher each year.
“It has never been easy, but I remain optimistic. The competition keeps getting stronger because we have very talented players in the Southeast,” Anakwe said after advancing to the next round with victories over Bright Ozoani of Enugu (21–15, 21–17) and Emeka Uzukwu of Abia (21–18).
He appealed to authorities and stakeholders to invest more in badminton development, insisting that the Southeast has the potential “to take the world by storm” if given the right support.
His wife, Favour Anakwe, praised his passion and called for more tournaments within the zone to keep athletes in peak form ahead of national and international engagements.
Sponsored by the Bet9ja Foundation, the championship features players, coaches, and officials from the five Southeastern states — Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo — competing for honours in what has quickly become one of the region’s most competitive sporting events.
