Table Tennis
Nigeria’s Akingbemisilu dazzles at International Table tennis Masters Para Open in Italy
Nigeria’s Bolawa Akingbemisilu made his presence felt in his maiden international outing after upstaging some of the top players to settle for silver medal in class five division at the ITTF Lignano Masters Para Open 2023 concluded at the weekend in Italy.
However, settled for two silver and two bronze medals at the four-day F-20 ranking point championships. Akingbemisilu who was part of the 16-man team sponsored by the Delta State government to the first hurdle to Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in France.
Grouped alongside top rated players, he worked his way into the knockout stage where he caused one of the upsets after beating Commonwealth Games Jack Hunter 3-2 in the semifinal round.
Despite going down early in the game, the Nigerian fought back to beat the world number five and booked his place in the final against Serbia’s Mitar Palikuca.
Like he did in the semifinal, Akingbemisilu did not start well against the world number six but he rallied back and his efforts could not help him from losing the gold medal to the Serbian at 3-1.
The performance of Akingbemisilu was lauded by ITTF who tipped the Nigerian for the African title in near future.
Also, Commonwealth silver medalist Isau Ogunkunle earned the second silver in men’s class four after losing 3-2 in the final to Japan’s Kazuki Shichino. Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi settled for bronze in the women’s class five while Kehinde Lawal also claimed bronze in the women’s class nine.
According to the team manager, Sunday Odebode, the players gave a good account of themselves among some of the top players in the world as some of them were making their maiden international outing.
Specifically, Odebode thanked the Delta State government for their immense support and ensuring that the team took part in the tournament which served as a pathway to the Paralympic Games.
“We hope that we can have another opportunity to compete in another tournament like this before the African Paralympic qualifying tournament in Egypt come September.
“With their participation here, they have gained valuable points that will aid their eventual qualification to Paris.
“We thank Governor Okowa and Delta State Sports Commission for their huge backing to be part of this trip and we hope to win more laurels in major competitions like this,” he added.
Nigeria is the only African team that competed alongside 33 other countries with over 300 athletes competing in 39 events made up of singles and doubles divisions.
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Hana Goda are among the elite players set to compete at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025, taking place in Slovenia.
The WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025 boasts a prize pool of $300,000 and offers valuable ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking points.
The singles champions will receive $17,000 and 600 points, while the doubles champions will take home $5,500 and 600 points.
This highly anticipated event, hosted at Hala Tivoli in Ljubljana, has attracted a star-studded lineup of table tennis greats.
Aruna, currently ranked 24th in the world and the highest-ranked African player, is seeded No. 14 in the men’s singles and has received a bye into the second round (last 32). He is expected to face the winner between Japan’s Shunsuke Togami and China’s Xu Haidong on Friday, June 20.
Similarly, Goda, seeded No. 15 in the women’s singles, also received a bye into the second round. She is set to face the winner between Japan’s Sakura Yokoi and South Korea’s Joo Cheonhui.
Some of the world’s best players will battle it out over five events in what promises to be a week-long table tennis spectacle.
Leading the charge in the men’s singles is Brazilian star and 2025 World Championships runner-up, Hugo Calderano.
Known as the “Thrill from Brazil,” Calderano returns to Slovenia with bold ambition, looking to defend his title from last year’s triumph.
Joining him are global heavyweights including Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, winner of the Men’s Singles title at WTT Star Contender Doha 2025; Felix Lebrun, champion at WTT Champions Montpellier 2024; and Slovenian home favourite Darko Jorgic.
In the women’s singles, Japan’s Miwa Harimoto headlines the field after claiming the title at WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025. Her compatriot Hina Hayata is also back to defend her title from last year’s Ljubljana tournament.
Other strong contenders include South Korea’s Shin Yubin, seeking her first WTT Star Contender title, as well as Romania’s Bernadette Szocs and China’s Qian Tianyi, both of whom are expected to make deep runs in the competition
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Participants in the table tennis event of the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024, will be vying for a total of 46 gold medals up for grabs.
The table tennis competition features athletes across three categories: able-bodied, para-athletes, and deaf athletes. Seven gold medals are available in the able-bodied category, while deaf athletes will contest for five gold medals. Para-athletes will compete for a whopping 34 gold medals across various events, including singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and team events.
In the able-bodied category, athletes will compete in singles (for men and women), doubles (for men and women), mixed doubles, and team events (for men and women). Deaf athletes will contest in singles (men and women), doubles (men and women), and mixed doubles.
Para-athletes will participate in four team events—men’s classes 1–5 and 6–10, and women’s classes 1–5 and 6–10. There will also be 18 singles events for men and women, eight doubles events, and four mixed doubles events.
Delta State dominates the seeding lists for both able-bodied and para-athlete categories. Fatimo Bello of Delta State is the top seed in the women’s singles, while Bayelsa’s Olajide Omotayo leads the men’s singles. Lagos and Oyo States top the seedings in the deaf singles events.
According to the tournament referee, Ranti Lajide, this year’s tournament promises to be thrilling, especially with the inclusion of Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) by the National Sports Commission (NSC).
“Lajide said: “We are going to witness top-class table tennis, especially from players who recently featured in the ITTF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
“The knockout format of this year’s tournament will make it even more exciting and competitive. I hope we can conclude all matches before the closing ceremony on May 29,” Ranti said.
“The turnout of teams has been impressive, even from states that haven’t traditionally featured in the table tennis events of the NSF. Beyond the medals, I believe the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) will be able to discover new talents for future development,” he added.
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The race for medals in the table tennis event of the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024, kicks off on Saturday, May 24, at the Alake Sports Centre in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
As one of the marquee events of Nigeria’s version of the Olympic Games, table tennis has drawn a large turnout of teams from across the country. Notably, foreign-based stars such as Olajide Omotayo, Azeez Solanke, and Taiwo Matti will be representing Bayelsa State, adding international flair to the competition.
Lagos State will be led by national champion Matthew Kuti and Muiz Adegoke, while strong contenders from Kwara, Ondo, Oyo, and Delta are also expected to make their mark.
According to an official from the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), the event was slightly delayed to allow the conclusion of the badminton competition, which shares the same venue.
“We’re expecting a more competitive tournament this year, with increased participation from teams that haven’t featured in recent editions. Some players are fresh from the ITTF World Championships in Doha, so fans should expect fireworks in the team, doubles, and singles events,” the official said.
Omotayo, currently Nigeria’s second-highest-ranked player globally, will face stiff competition from top home-based talents like Kuti, Adegoke, and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai. Kuti, one of the most consistent players on the national circuit, has dominated recent tournaments and is eyeing his first National Sports Festival title. Abdulfatai, fresh off a national tournament win in Osun, is also a strong contender in both singles and doubles.
Oyo State, under the guidance of Coach Dotun Omoniyi, will not be overlooked. The team features seasoned players like Akinwale Fagbamila and Joshua Olaniran, who bring experience and resilience to the Sunshine State’s campaign.
In the para table tennis event, all eyes will be on homeboy and Paris Paralympics bronze medalist, Isau Ogunkunle, who will be aiming to affirm his dominance in the Men’s Class 4 of the singles event, while Faith Obazuaye, a Commonwealth Games medalist will lead the Edo State contingent in the Women’s category.
From May 24 to 28, all eyes will be on the Alake Sports Centre as the table tennis event promises to unearth new stars and deliver thrilling action at this year’s multi-sport festival.
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