Paralympic Games medallists Isau Ogunkunle and Olufemi Alabi demonstrated their exceptional skills at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championships, held at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun.

Ogunkunle, the only African to win a medal in the table tennis event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, secured a decisive 3-1 victory over fellow Paralympian Bolawa Akingbemisilu, becoming the national champion in the Men’s Singles Class 1-5.

Similarly, Alabi, a bronze medallist from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, showcased his talent with an emphatic 3-1 win against Abiola Adesope, claiming the championship in Class 6-10.

In the Women’s Singles Class 6-10, Kehinde Lawal triumphed over Mariam Popoola with a 3-1 victory to secure the top spot. Kate Oputa of Delta dominated the Women’s Singles Class 1-5, winning 3-1 against Kwara’s Taiwo Oyinloye.

Top seeds Matthew Kuti and Sukurat Aiyelabegan have expressed their determination to make their mark in the competition. Kuti, a silver medallist at the 2023 African Games, stated, “I have been playing well in the last two months, winning the majority of the competitions. But I don’t want to be too complacent; I will give my best to prove myself when it matters most. This is the gathering of the best players in the country, being the first national tournament in 2025.”

Aiyelabegan echoed similar sentiments, acknowledging the tough competition. “We have the best players competing here, and it is really a tough tournament. I am confident I can raise my game to win the title in Lagos,” she added.

Former Congolese international Saka Suraju, who participated in the longest-running table tennis tournament in Africa, praised the family of the tournament’s initiator for maintaining its national significance. Reflecting on his experiences, Suraju noted, “In the 1990s, I reached the final but lost to Hakeem Hassan. Back then, only the best players in the country competed. This tournament has propelled many Nigerian players to stardom, as it was a gathering of the nation’s finest. If you aspired to join the national team, you had to compete in the Molade Okoya-Thomas Cup. I’m pleased that the tournament continues even after Chief Okoya-Thomas’s passing.”

The quarterfinals of the Men’s and Women’s Singles will be held on Friday, January 31, with the final matches scheduled for Saturday, February 1.

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Ondo State triumphed in the Mixed Doubles event at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championships, held at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall in Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The duo of Joshua Oladiran and Kehinde Adeyinka secured the title by defeating Edo’s Amadi Omeh and Anu Ajuwon in a thrilling 3-2 match (12-14, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11).

After three days of intense preliminary rounds in the Men’s and Women’s Singles, the knockout stage is set to begin on Thursday, January 30.

 The para events have also been highly competitive, with Paralympians dominating their categories.

In the women’s para category, Commonwealth Games medallist Faith Obiora was unexpectedly knocked out by Kwara’s Taiye Oyinloye. Oyinloye advanced to the final but was defeated by another Commonwealth Games medallist, Kate Oputa of Delta, who won 3-1 (11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9) to become the Women’s Class 1-5 champion.

Out of 109 players registered for the Men’s Singles, 16 have been seeded, while the remaining 93 competed fiercely for the 16 available slots in the main draw.

The successful players will join the top seeds in the first round of the main draw, starting on Thursday, January 30.

 The competition is expected to be fierce, with top players like national champion Matthew Kuti, Abulbasit Abdulfatai, Jamiu Ayanwale, Muiz Adegoke, and Amadi Umeh all vying for the title.

Former champion Rilwan Akanbi expressed his ambition to win the tournament now that it has become a national event.

 “I am happy that the tournament has gone national now, and this will surely allow the best players in the country to compete, unlike when it was meant for Lagos state players alone.

“ Now it is obvious that it is going to be tougher to win the title this year, but I have been training for this, and I hope I can make it this year again, having won the previous editions of the competition,” Akanbi said.

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At 63, Taofik Maya fondly recalls his victory over Sawo Aiyemojuba to become the Men’s Singles champion at the 1996 Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Championships, describing it as the pinnacle of his illustrious career.

Meanwhile, national men’s champions Matthew Muti and Sukurat Aiyelabegan have been named the top seeds in the Men’s and Women’s Singles categories for the 56th edition of Africa’s longest-running table tennis tournament.

Maya, now a head coach with Oyo State, expressed his delight at the decision by the family of the late Molade Okoya-Thomas to elevate the tournament to a national event.

“Most of us who represented Nigeria cannot forget the tournament’s impact on our careers.

“Back then, it was like the Olympic Games of table tennis, featuring legends like Atanda Musa, the late Yomi Bankole, and Wole Orukotan.

“I started competing as a cadet player in the 1980s, and after participating in the tournament, I made the Lagos State team for the Bendel 1981 National Sports Festival, which I won.

“From that year, I competed in several editions of the championships, which were dominated by Musa and Bankole.

“In 1996, with Musa having left the country, I defeated Bankole in the semifinal and then beat Aiyemojuba in the final to win the senior title for the first time.

“Making it a national tournament now is a welcome development, and I believe it will help the players and enhance the quality of the competition with the best players in the country taking part,” Maya enthused.

As the 56th edition of the tournament enters day 3 on Wednesday, January 29, Kuti of Lagos has been listed as the No. 1 seed in the Men’s Singles.

 He will compete alongside River’s Jamiu Ayanwale, Kwara’s Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Edo’s Amadi Omeh, and defending champion Muiz Adegoke of Lagos.

In the absence of national women’s singles champion Hope Udoaka of Cross River, Kwara’s Aiyelabegan has been named the top seed.

She will vie for the top prize against Kabirat Ayoola of Lagos, Aminat Fashola of NSCDC, and 9-time champion Bose Odusanya.

The preliminary rounds of the deaf and para events concluded on Tuesday, January 28, with Paris 2024 Paralympics medallist Isau Ogunkunle still in the race for the title, dominating his matches.

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