Paralympians Isau Ogunkunle and Faith Obazuaye top the list of participants at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championship, which kicks off on Monday, January 27, in Lagos.

Regarded as the longest-running table tennis tournament in Africa, having started in 1968, the tournament will, for the first time, be played nationally. Players from 21 states and 67 clubs will compete for honours in 13 events.

Africa’s sole medalist at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Ogunkunle, will lead the Ogun State contingent to the six-day tournament as he aims to become the first player in class 1 to 5 to win the Men’s Singles title.

Additionally, two-time Paralympian and Commonwealth Games medalist, Obazuaye, will travel from Benin City, Edo State, to compete in what promises to be a gathering of the best in the Women’s Class 6 to 10 para event.

More than 350 players from across the country will descend on Lagos to compete for the improved prize purse at stake. This competition continues to produce some of Nigeria’s finest table tennis players.

A confident Ogunkunle believes that making the tournament national will allow para players to test their skills against one another. He expressed optimism about his chances of claiming the national title. “We have a lot of players already confirmed for the tournament, and this is a good development for us as para players, as the best players in the country are in Lagos. I must commend the family of Okoya-Thomas for opening up the tournament for us. This is another platform for us to showcase our talents and assess ourselves as players,” he said.

Tournament referee John Peters noted that the turnout is the highest in the history of any national tournament. “I am excited about the turnout this year, as the tournament has become a national event. I am particularly overwhelmed by the number of participants, and this will surely allow the national handlers to scout for a new set of players who will be groomed to become world beaters. It promises to be exciting, considering the quality of players and the turnout for the championships,” he said.

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Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna continues his impressive run at the 2025 WTT Star Contender Doha, setting up a semifinal clash against the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan.

Aruna secured his third win at the tournament by defeating Korea’s Park Ganghyeon in an explosive quarterfinal match at the Lusail Arena in Doha.

Earlier on Friday, January 10, the second highest-ranked African player in the world avenged his previous losses to Spain’s Alvaro Robles with a hard-fought 3-2 victory.

In the quarterfinal match, Aruna showcased a dominant performance against the Korean qualifier, who had previously eliminated German top seed Patrick Franciska in the second round.

Aruna took control from the start, winning the first game 11-9 and the second game 11-8. Although Park fought back to win the third game 11-4, Aruna regained his composure and clinched the fourth game 11-9, securing a 3-1 victory and advancing to the semifinals.

Aruna remains the only male African player to reach the semifinal stage of the WTT Star Contender, replicating his achievement from the 2022 edition.

He will now face a familiar opponent in Japanese sensation Harimoto; while their last encounter at the WTT Champions Frankfurt in Germany, ended in Aruna’s favour, Harimoto will be seeking revenge when they meet on Saturday, January 11.

Quadri Aruna kicked off 2025 with a significant victory on Thursday, January 9, by defeating British champion Liam Pitchford.

This win propelled him to the third round of the Men’s Singles at the WTT Star Contender Doha in Qatar.

Earlier in the competition, Egypt’s Dina Meshref was unable to overcome China’s Chen Yi, exiting the Women’s Singles in the second round with a 3-1 loss.

As the only remaining African competitor and the fifth seed, Aruna navigated the challenging style of Pitchford to avoid an early exit. Despite losing the first game 10-12, Aruna bounced back to win the next three games 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, securing his spot in the third round.

Next, Aruna will face Spain’s Alvaro Robles, who also advanced by defeating a Japanese contender in the second round.

The Men’s Singles draw saw a major upset with the third seed, Patrick Franziska of Germany, being eliminated in the round of 32. Franziska initially led against Park Ganghyeon of the Korea Republic but ultimately lost 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8).

Frenchman Thibault Poret continued his impressive run in Doha, defeating No.14 seed Lim Jonghoon of Korea Republic (11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8) to reach his first round of 16 at the WTT Star Contender stage.

In the Women’s Singles, Britt Eerland celebrated advancing to the last 16 after a notable 3-1 win over No.14 seed Manika Batra of India (10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3). Eerland overcame an early setback in game one to win three consecutive games.

Bernadette Szocs also demonstrated remarkable resilience, coming from behind to defeat the German in five games (3-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9), showcasing her fighting spirit and determination.

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