If there is any table tennis player in the last five years that has been consistent locally, it is Fatimo Bello having won all the titles at stake and dominating the women folk. The easy-going southpaw showed her exploits locally was no fluke at the 2022 ITTF Africa Cup where she braved all odds as an unseeded player to make it to the final of the prestigious tournament.This feat yielded positively on her global rating as she became the first Nigeria woman to hit top 52 in the ITTF Rankings and deservedly listed to represent the country at the forthcoming Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in the United Kingdom . OLALEKAN OKUSAN reports.
she started as a cadet player when she was listed in the Nigerian team to the 2010 Global Cadet Challenge in India but Fatimo Bello has been showing the trait of a champion since 2015.
It was during the trials for the 2015 African Games in Congo Brazzaville that her talents caught the attention of the German coach Martin Adomeit who led the country to the games in the Central African nation.
Despite being part of the camping exercise for the 2015 African Games, Bello failed to make the team, but she never gave up as her dominance at home continued unabated.
Again, she was called up for the 2019 Africa Games in Rabat, Morocco and she made the four-man team where she nearly caused an upset when she was pitched against African champion Dina Meshref of Egypt, but inexperience cost her victory.
Since then, she has established herself as a player to look out for in major competition.
At the maiden Western Region championships held in Abidjan, Bello showed her class to win the women’s singles title while at the national competition, her dominance was unbroken for three years.
In 2021 at the second edition of the Western Region tournament, she held on to her title with an unbeaten run in the women’s singles.
She lost a golden opportunity at the 2021 African Championships held in Yaounde when she squandered her 3-0 lead over the eventual champion Mariam Alhodaby in the quarterfinal of the women’s singles to lose the tie at 4-3.
But Bello’s performance caught the attention of many as a potential African champion who has the wherewithal to beat top players on a big stage.
Prior to the 2022 ITTF Africa Cup, Bello retained her Western Region title at the third edition of the regional tournament, and she also guided the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) to claim the women’s title at the Africa Club Championships.
At the 2022 Africa Cup, Bello was drawn in the same group with six-time African champion Meshref of Egypt, and in the encounter against the Egyptians, she gave an inkling of what to expect when the game ended 3-1 in favour of her opponent.
Despite suffering an early defeat in the group match, Bello bulldozed her way into the knockout stage where she was pitched against another African revelation, Tunisia’s Maram Zoghlami and as an unseeded player, Bello waltzed past the Tunisian with a 4-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 13-11, 11-6) to set up an epic tie against compatriot and number four seed Offiong Edem.
For many table tennis buffs, Bello was no match to Edem but by providence it was Bello that edged out Edem 4-3 (3-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7) in the quarterfinal to set up another explosive semifinal against current African champion Mariam Alhodaby of Egypt.
Considered as a walkover for the Egyptian especially when Bello was down 3-1 but in her usual style of play, Bello’s calmness amidst her possible exit from the competition paid off as she recovered from the brink of defeat to beat the African number one 4-3 (10-12, 7-11, 13-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8) to the admiration of the Lagos fans.
A feat that defied all odds in African table tennis history for an unseeded player to qualify for the final but she succumbed to the younger and skilful opponent in Egypt’s Hana Goda 4-0 in the final to finish second in the tournament.
To crown her efforts on the global stage, Bello became the first Nigerian female player to be ranked in the top 52 in the world following the release of the ITTF World Ranking on Tuesday, May 31.
According to World Table Tennis (WTT), Bello gained 342 steps up the ladder to occupy 52nd place in the women’s ranking.
“Good news is coming the way of Fatimo Bello,” noted the WTT in a release.“ Rewarded for her fantastic run to the 2022 ITTF Africa Cup final with 350 points, she skyrockets up the latest rankings. She is now World No.52. It’s a massive jump forward for the Nigerian.
“ A regular in her local region, the only time we have seen Bello competing outside the continent of Africa was back in 2010 at the Global Cadet Challenge in India. Her recent hot streak in such a competitive environment surely will lend her confidence to make the leap once again outside of her home continent and bring her table tennis to the rest of the world,” WTT added.
An excited Bello told NationSport that she was surprised by her recent rating adding that this would spur her to work harder.
“I never expected to be ranked 52 in the world by this time of the year as I was just enjoying myself on the table,” she said.
“I can categorically say that my brother helped me to hone my skills. We train regularly together, and this has improved my game.
“ There is no doubt that this recent performance has boosted my confidence and I am going to continue to work harder.
“I trained well for the tournaments, especially with my brother. We trained regularly together, and we worked hard day and night, and this paid off for me in the competition
“I didn’t expect to get to the final and my qualification was possible through the hard work I had put in before the competition.
“There is no doubt that my performance has boosted my confidence going into any competition in Africa and I am also believing that I can still make it to the top in Africa.
“ I must admit that the final was a bit tough because my opponent was just too fast for me to cope and this has again taught me to work harder to be able to play against such player in future events,” she added.
Now Bello will be making her debut at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Lagos State-born is looking to halt the pecking order in the UK.
“I am in the camp training very hard ahead of the competition. I hope to give my best and I believe I can achieve success,” she said.
Bello, who has been almost invincible in the various competitions in the country added: “I believe I will give my best especially if the seeding of players favours me.”