The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 2019 ITTF

  • 2019 ITTF World Championships: Quadri makes seeding list in singles

    Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has been seeded number 22 among the top ranked players listed in the 64-man seeding released by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) for the 2019 World Championships holding in Budapest, Hungary on April 21 to 28.

    Quadri who is ranked 23 in the April 2019 ITTF ranking released two weeks ago will be starting his campaign from the main draw (round of 128) and he has been profiled among the players to watch out for in Budapest.

    Aside from Aruna Quadri, Egypt’s Omar Assar also made the seeding list as the former African champion has been seeded 40th in the men’s seeding list.

    Egypt’s Dina Meshref is the only African female player listed in the seeding list for women’s singles as the African champion is seeded 34th in the list and she will also start her campaign from the main draw.

    Also, the mixed doubles seeding list, Nigeria’s pair of egun Toriola and Olufunke Oshonaike has been seeded 21th among the 32 seeded pairs in the event. Toriola and Oshonaike are rated ahead of the Egypt’s duo of Omar Assar and Dina Meshref who are both seeded 24th.

    Also the CEO of ITTF, Steve Dainton looks ahead to what is all set to be a true celebration of the sport.

    “When you have all the best players from around the world competing against each other, you can be sure that there will be many epic matches in store. Given the sheer number of participants, there are always likely to be shock results too, and I can’t wait to watch as the drama unfolds.

    “Of course, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are not too far away now either, and, as this is the biggest eventprior, it will also be interesting to see which players make a big impression in Budapest and prove themselves as top candidates for medalsnext year.

     

    “What I can say with absolute certainty is that the local organising committee, the Hungarian Table Tennis Association, have put in a huge amount of effort with the full support of the country. Therefore, we are sure that this will be a truly unforgettable event,” the CEO said.

     

  • Matti, Aiyelabegan make African Team for WCC in Poland

    For their impressive display at the just concluded 2019 ITTF African Junior and Cadet Championships held in Ghana, Nigeria’s duo of Taiwo Matti and Sukurat Aiyelabegan have been selected among the eight-man African team for the 2019 ITTF World Cadet Challenge (WCC) holding in Poland in October.

     

    Matti, who had earlier been invited by the ITTF to the 2019 High-Performance Training Camp in Thailand next month emerged as champion in the cadet event while Aiyelabegan finished in third place in the girls cadet singles was also selected in the team.

     

    Also, the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) has formally confirmed Nigeria and Egypt as the continent’s flagbearers at the 2019 ITTF World Junior Championships (WJC) holding in Thailand in November.

     

    The two continent’s superpowers will compete in the boys and girls categories at the global with Nigeria making a return after two years absence from the continental qualifiers.

     

    Nigeria and Egypt were named after emerging as the finalists in the junior boys and girls team events of the 2019 ITTF African Junior and Cadet Championships held in Accra, Ghana from April 7 to 13.

     

    Nigeria defeated Egypt 3-0 to emerge as champion in the boys’ cadre while Egypt also repeated same result against Nigeria in the girls’ final.

     

    For the World Cadet Challenge (WCC), the girls’ team will be led by African cadet champion – Egypt’s Hana Goda while his male counterpart – Nigeria’s Taiwo Matti will spearhead the boys’ team.

     

    Other members of the girls’ team include Nigeria’s Aiyelabegan, Tunisia’s Maram Zoghlami and Algeria’s Melissa Belache.

     

    Nigeria’s Taiwo Matti will be joined in the boys’ team by Tunisia’s Habib Ameur, Egypt’s Mohamed Sameh and Algeria’s Abderrahmane Azzala.

     

    To prepare the African Team for WCC, there are plans by the continental body to organize a camp in Egypt few weeks before the competition in Poland.

  • 2019 ITTF: Nigeria beats Egypt to boys’ doubles title

    Nigeria again showed that he has usurp the dominance of Egypt as the duo of Azeez Solanke and Jamiu Ayanwale claimed the junior boys’ doubles title at the expense of Egypt’s Marwan Abdelwahab and Gawad Elherazy at the 2019 2019 ITTF African Junior and Cadet Championships.

    Having eliminated Nigeria’s pair of Abayomi Animashaun and Augustine Emmanuel in the semifinal round of the event, the Egyptians were not given breathing space by Solanke and Ayanwale in the final.

    From the start to the end of the encounter, the Nigerians were all over the place dictating the pace of the match and again halting the dominance of Egypt in the doubles.

    To claim the fourth gold, Solanke and Ayanwale defeated the Egyptian teenagers 3-0 to emerge as the new boys’ doubles champions.

    Read also: 2019 ITTF: Nigeria thwarts Egypt’s dominance in team event

    Another gold medal is also certain for Nigeria in the cadet boys’ singles as it will be a Nigeria affair in the final between Ayanwale and Taiwo Matti.

    This is a repeat of the WJC cadet final in which Matti won the title for Nigeria to dominate the WJC ahead of the Europeans.

    Over 21 countries took part in the one-week championship with Nigeria and Egypt qualifying for the World Junior Championships (WJC) holding in Thailand later in the year.

  • 2019 ITTF: Nigeria thwarts Egypt’s dominance in team event

    The years of dominance of Egypt at continental junior level is nearing an end as their reign as African junior champion in the boys was stopped by Nigeria at the ongoing 2019 ITTF Africa Junior and Cadet Championships holding in Accra, Ghana.

    Even in the absence of Nigeria in the last two years, Egypt ruled like a king in the tournament but on evening of Wednesday, April 10, they received the beating of their lives as the Azeez Solanke-led Nigerian side paid them with their own coin with a whitewashing 3-0 win in the final of the junior boys.

    The Egyptians are yet to get over the hang-over of their 2-3 semifinal loss to Nigeria in the boys’ U-21 event.

    Despite being strengthened by the number best U-21 player in Africa, Mamoud Helmy; the Egyptians suffered a narrow defeat against the skillful Nigerian side.

    They came into the final of the junior boys’ frustrated and they left dejected after been bashed 3-0 by the Nigerians.

    Read also: 2019 ITTF African Junior and Cadet Championships: Nigeria hits semifinal

    It was Solanke who started the onslaught for Nigeria with a convincing 3-0 win over Ahmed Elborhamy and Jamiu Ayanwale increased Nigeria lead to 2 with another emphatic 3-0 win over Marwan Abdelwahab.

    Augustine Emmanuel completed the rout for Nigeria with another 3-0 bashing of Abdelrahman Dendan to give Nigeria the gold medal in the event.

    But the Egyptians were far ahead of Nigeria in the girls’ final as they won 3-0 to claim the gold medal.

  • 2019 ITTF African Junior and Cadet Championships: Nigeria hits semifinal

    Nigeria’s junior boys’ team maintains their unbeaten run to qualify alongside Egypt into the semifinal round of the ongoing ITTF African Junior and Cadet Championships holding in Accra, Ghana.

    From the three matches played in the group, Nigeria overcame Tunisia, Ghana and Congo Brazzaville to join Egypt who also defeated Sierra Leone and South Africa in their group matches.

    Tunisia being the only team to lose 1-3 to Nigeria are also in contention for the title after the North African side booked their place in the last four after a convincing win in the quarterfinal round.

    Nigeria and Egypt were given a bye to the semifinal as the top teams from Group One and Two of the boys’ junior.

    For finishing second, Tunisia and Algeria had to battle others to be certain of their slots in the last four.

    According to African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), teams that make it to the final in the boys and girls team events will represent the continent at the World Junior Championship (WJC) holding in Thailand later in the year.

    As it is the battle for the two slots in the boys event will be among Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.

    However, the chance of Nigeria in the girls’ event is slim following the below-par performance of the team.

    Having lost 0-3 in the first group match to Egypt, the team redeemed its image with a 3-0 convincing win over South Africa.

    To be sure of playing in the last four, the Rofiat Jimoh-captained side will slug it out with Algeria in the quarterfinal tie.

    In the cadet division, Nigeria’s duo of Taiwo Matti and Jamiu Ayanwale were unbeaten in their matches as they pummeled Mauritius and Congo DRC to secure their automatic place in the last four while they will be joined in the semifinal by Tunisia who also recorded wins in their matches.