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NIGERIA’S OLAJIDE OMOTAYO SET AFRICAN RECORD AT WORLD TABLE TENNIS

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Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo has set a new African record at the first official World Table Tennis (WTT) events as the 2019 African Games champion became the first Nigerian and African to win a match at the WTT Middle East Hub holding in Doha, Qatar.

Omotayo who is competing in his first international tournament after qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games at Tunis in February 2020 began his campaign from the preliminary alongside other African players from Egypt and Algeria.

Pitched against Kazakhstan’s Alan Kurmangaliyev in the first round of the preliminary, the Nigerian showed his stuff against the European to become the only African player to record a victory on the opening day of the tournament taking place at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha in Doha.

Omotayo who is among the 298 players representing 66 countries taking part in the $200,000 prize money which is one of the Hub (Contender) at the Middle East Hub, which serves as return to the international stage for most of the players.

Despite winning the first game 11-7, Omotayo fell in the second game to 7-11 while in the next two games, he showed his class with 12-10, 11-1 win to record a 3-1 win and set up a second round against the best player in the German Bundesliga, Sweden Anton Kallberg on Monday March 1.

An excited Omotayo described his return to the international tournament as awesome having been away for more than a year.

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“I feel great to be able to play here, having to wait for a year is not really easy but at least everything is getting back to normal. I know the feeling is not fully back because I haven’t played any official match for a year now but it can only get better from here , as time goes on the momentum will be back .

I am also feeling great and I’m happy everyone is following all the instructions given to us in order  to be safe, the hall is amazing and I have always loved to play here in Doha and so for me Doha is home,” he said.

Unlike Omotayo, Egypt’s duo of Khaled Assar and Mohammed El-Beiali were not lucky as they were shown the exit by their European counterparts in the preliminary stage.

Assar was shown the exit by Germany’s Ricardo Walter who won 14-12, 11-7, 11-6) while Belarus’ Pavel Platonov bundled out El-Beiali 3-0 (11-5, 12-10, 11-6).

Egypt’s duo of Omar Assar and Ahmed Saleh as well as Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw and Omotayo will be in action in the second round of the preliminary round on Monday March 1 while the highest ranked African in the competition Quadri Aruna will start his campaign from the main draw on March 3, having been listed among the seeded players in the competition.

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The WTT Contender Series has been designed to provide the perfect setting for some of the world’s leading stars to be challenged by the best up-and-coming athletes in table tennis.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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ITTF African Championships: Egypt, Nigeria renew rivalry in Addis Ababa

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The intense rivalry between Africa’s top table tennis nations, Egypt and Nigeria, will be reignited at the 2024 ITTF African Championships. This prestigious event will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from October 12 to 19.

Serving as qualifiers for the 2024 ITTF Mixed Team Cup in China and the 2025 World Championships in Qatar, the tournament will feature top teams and regional champions competing in two team events and five individual events: Men’s Teams, Women’s Teams, Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.

Returning to Ethiopia after 24 years, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) promises an exciting competition.

As the reigning champions, Egypt will face fierce competition from arch-rival Nigeria, along with strong contenders like Tunisia and Algeria.

Khaled El-Salhy, President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), expressed confidence in Ethiopia’s preparations, highlighting their successful hosting of the Eastern Regional Championships in 2023.

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“We awarded the hosting right to Ethiopia after their presentation at the last AGM in Tunisia as well as the successful staging of the Eastern Regional Championships in 2023 which gave us a perfect indication that they deserve to get the host of the 2024 ITTF-African Championships especially that they have not hosted any African major events in Addis Ababa since 2000,” he added.

“We believe the Ethiopia Table Tennis Federation has the experience to ensure a smooth and seamless tournament,” he said.

“The level of competition will be high as players vie for qualification to the 2025 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.”

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Nigeria absent as African youths converge in Botswana 

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Nigeria is conspicuously absent from the 2024 ITTF Africa Youth Championships, which are currently underway in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

Despite being one of the leading African teams, Nigeria is not participating in this prestigious event.

In the 2023 edition held in Agadir, Morocco, the Nigerian contingent managed to compete thanks to the support of Friends of Table Tennis, who funded their trip.

However, despite qualifying for the 2023 ITTF World Youth Championships, the team could not honour the event.

Following weeks of preparation, the players were informed that they would not be able to travel due to the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) failing to secure necessary support from the Federal Ministry of Sports Development.

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Botswana is making history by hosting the continent’s finest young players for the first time in African table tennis.

Unfortunately, Nigeria, a high-profile team, is missing from the action at the championships, which began on Monday, July 15. The Botho University Hall in Gaborone serves as the venue for this exciting event.

Having previously hosted regional championships, Botswana is thrilled to stage one of Africa’s elite tournaments. Motswagole Kudzanani, President of the Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA), emphasized that hosting the tournament would lead to all-round improvement for table tennis.

He stated, “Hosting provides a platform to build our capacity and expose our athletes to international standards. It also increases our brand visibility, showcasing our capabilities and helping us identify areas for growth.”

This year’s championships feature an increased number of participating nations compared to the 2023 edition. The participating countries include Botswana, Congo DRC, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Benin Republic, Guinea, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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Furthermore, the seven-day continental championships serves as African qualifiers for the 2024 ITTF World Youth Championships, scheduled to take place in Helsingborg, Sweden, in November.

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Indian Sensation, Thakkar, Eyes WTT Contender Lagos Glory

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When Manav Thakkar competed at the 2023 edition of the WTT Contender Lagos, he never envisaged what would happen and despite his round of 16 exit, the tournament marked the beginning of his rise in the world rating.

Already listed for the 2024 edition of the first WTT Series in Sub-Saharan Africa, the 24-year-old is eagerly looking for another fortune to smile on him in the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, when the tournament serves off on June 19 to 23 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

“As of today, I’m ranked 59 in the world but last year I was 140 before the 2023 WTT Contender Lagos and Lagos was the first event where I reached the last 16 after winning against higher-ranked players. Apart from my ranking, my level improved….so this year I’m also very hopeful that I will do well,” he said.

The former U-21 World No. 1 star described his maiden experience in Lagos as one of the best moments in his career particularly in terms of the massive support from the Lagos fans. “The experience compared to other tournaments was very good for me. I enjoyed the food in Lagos. There were many varieties and I also got a lot of support from the people when I was playing the matches. These were the major things that helped me to do well in the event last year.

“The unique thing about the event in Lagos is the food and the people. There is a bit of traffic in Lagos and there is also traffic in India as well, so I am used to it. People cheered every player during the matches and we players enjoyed playing it compared to other events and the food in terms of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I could remember that the hotel used to give us one special Indian dish every day and the people were very friendly and helpful in Lagos,” Thakkar added.

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For this year, Thakkar is optimistic about exceeding his 2023 round of 16 feat. “My expectation this year is to win a medal in singles and doubles as well as in mixed doubles. I am really excited and looking forward to playing at the event in Lagos,” the right-handed shakehand grip star said.

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