The African Table Tennis Players in Diaspora Invitational Tournament in Abeokuta was a success, with praises directed to the organizers and sponsors, and the defending champion, Mathew Kuti, retained his title in a closely contested match.
A total of 25 budding ping-pongers were in the ancient city between December 27th and 29th to compete keenly for honours at the Alake Sports Complex, Ijeja with massive fans turning up to see the young ones exhibit their skills.
A former national player and coach, Waheed Ekun, who was one of the Special guests at the final,
said he was particularly happy that the tournament showed that Nigeria is blessed with many talents that will be of help in the future for the senior national team.
Ekun said: “I came from Ibadan because I saw the event last year and decided to witness it again. I am happy with the standard and I thank the sponsors and organisers for creating good template for the players to show their talents.”
Hon. Allen-Taylor Oluwafemi Wilfred, a senior Legislative Aide to Senate President and other stakeholders showered praises on the sponsors and organisers of the tournament.
In the final, defending champion, Matthew Kuti, defeated Basit Abdulfatai 4-1 in a keenly contested match which kept fans at the edge their seats despite final score.
One of the sponsors, the players in diaspora, Charles Olayinka, said he was elated with the skills exhibited by the young ones which he saw on live stream.
“For us watching the live streaming and seeing smiles on the faces of the players. It gives us joy to do more but we call on corporate bodies to partner with us to take this event to the next level,” Olayinka said.
Coordinator of the tournament, Wale Ajetunmobi, said he was impressed with standard exhibited by the players.
“What we saw was like a national or continental standard and it is evident with the champion who is a West African Champion. It was a delight to see the level of keen contest by these players and I want to thank the sponsors for their consistency,” he said.
The African Table Tennis Players in Diaspora are set for a year-ending invitational tournament scheduled to take place between December 27 and 29.
Abeokuta, Ogun State, will host this edition, the third in the series, and Alake Sports Centre is the venue of the tournament which will see 25 players battle for honours with close to N1m set aside as cash prizes.
The coordinator of the tournament, Wale Ajetunmobi, told newsmen on Saturday that all was set for the competition.
“We have been on this for three years and now we want the players to have a good festive atmosphere to end the year. It is also a way of entertaining the table tennis fans in the ancient city of Abeokuta,” Ajetunmobi said.
The list of the invited players are Kuti Matthew (Lagos State), Abudulfatai Abdulbasit (Kwara State), Adegoke Muiz (Lagos State) Fabunmi Matthew ( Kwara State), Ayanwale Jamiu, (Oyo State), Azeez Wasiu ( Oyo State), Sanni Abdulrahman( Edo State), Akanbi Rilwan ( NSCDC ) (Oladiran Joshua ( Ondo State), Oladipupo Olayinka (NPF), Oladele Kehinde (NPF), Lawal Amidu (Nigeria Army) Fayele David (Nigeria Army), Akinyemi Adebowale (Edo State), Yunus Idowu (River State), Agunbiade Sultan (Aruna Club), Adebakin Tobi (Lagos State) and Atunwon Quadri (Aruna Club).
Others are Yinus Lateef (Rivers State), Yaya Azeez (Aruna Club), Olatunji Timothy (Oyo State), Oyeniyi Lateef (Osun State), Mukaila Ajagbe (Nigerian Navy), Mustapha Bello (OLAAJ Club) and Alaba Olanlege (OLAAJ Club).
One of the Chieftains of the African Table Tennis players in Diaspora, Charles Olayinka, said the competition would continue to get better every year.
“We are trying to encourage professional players to get busy and also gain exposure wit this tournament. It a yearly event in which we also use this as part of the December festivities,’’ Olayinka said.
Lagos ping ponger, Mathew Kuti, is the defending Champion of the competition which promises to be highly interesting and explosive in Abeokuta.
His election this week as the sixth President of African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) was momentous since the 40-member electorate overwhelmingly supported Nigeria’s Wahid Oshodi to lead the sports’ continental ruling body. Oshodi, who succeeded the legendary Egyptian Khaled El-Salhy that served as ATTF President for an unprecedented three terms, becomes the second Nigerian after Engineer Segun George (1988-1996). A trained lawyer, Oshodi brings to his new portfolio a rich repertoire of experiences and leadership qualities needed to strengthen the status of African table tennis at global rostrum, writes Sports Editor, MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.
The election of Wahid Enitan Oshodi as President of African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) did not come to many as a surprise because for nearly three decades he has not only shown an unbridled passion for the sport but has truly devoted his life to Ping Pong.
Yet Oshodi, the erstwhile Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, has spoken about his plans to titivate table tennis following his ascendancy as boss of the sport’s continental ruling body
“Youth development, more participation, increased revenue, professional organisation, and improvements in our governance processes,” Oshodi began in an exclusive interview shared with NationSport when pressed about what would be the focal point of his tenure following his unanimous election as the ATTF President. “The volume of young talent across the continent is a thing of joy to the federation but we need to find the resources to help their development. That is a key goal of the ATTF.”
He continued on his mission to rejig table tennis in Africa: “We are already working with equipment providers. We have an agreement with Butterfly, the top equipment manufacturer, for equipment supply at our three major events, but we now need to explore ways of getting equipment to our smaller federations.
“Equipment is key to development, and we need to help our member associations source equipment at low prices. This means improving our marketing and seeking new sponsorship deals.
“I believe we have new ideas that can help the growth of the game. Table Tennis is a massive product, but we need innovative thinking to turn it into a more attractive and lucrative sport.
“As time goes along, we will introduce new and exciting events, and, more importantly, new exciting ways of delivering our product. It is not enough to have matches, but we must make these matches entertaining and fun events for families.”
It has taken Oshodi some 24 years to rise from the ‘aquatic splendour’ of Lagos to the zenith of continental table tennis at the ‘Horn of Africa’ during the ATTF Elective Annual General Meeting held at the African Union headquarters in Addis-Abba, Ethiopia, on Tuesday, October 15th.
“The experience of working at various levels of the sport is invaluable and one learns to deal with various thorny situations and find solutions,” Oshodi said about his rise to the top. “I love my sports; all sports since I grew up around sports.
“We played different sports from an early age, and it is a great love of mine. I watch a lot of sports and learn from what is done in the best events worldwide.”
A trained lawyer, Oshodi’s odyssey in sports actually began in 2000 when he was appointed to the Lagos State Sports Council Governing Board, under the then-Governor Bola Tinubu. He went on to chair the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA) before being appointed as Commissioner for Youth, Sports, and Social Development by the sport-loving Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2011. It was under his watch that the state hosted what was regarded as the most successful National Sports Festival, Eko 2012.
He then moved to higher plane as President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), revitalising the sport by discovering and supporting new talents, and positioning Nigeria as a dominant force in African table tennis. This enhanced his reputation and global appeal as he became the Chairman of the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) Nomination Committee. In 2019, he was elected Deputy President of the ATTF, and in 2021, he defeated high-profile candidates from China and Europe to secure the role of Executive Vice President of the ITTF.
Oshodi would list key factors that have propelled his profile from being ‘a true Lagosian’ in the words of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, en route to being a force to reckon with on the world stage as far as table tennis is concerned.
“Consistency, patience and most importantly hard work,” Oshodi, a keen lover of athletics, stated pointedly his credo for success. “It helps if you have a passion for sports.
“I think it’s also important for administrators to continue to improve themselves and seek knowledge from different climes. We must continue to be innovative.”
Incidentally, Oshodi had, in the meantime, shown that he was opened to new ways of doing things after he midwifed The Nigeria Open, otherwise known as the ITTF Challenge Nigeria Series or ITTF Challenge Semester Nigeria Open, which has become an annual event since it was launched as the Lagos Classics in 2013.
This tournament with an impressive $46,000 USD prize money has since been listed on the ITTF Challenge Series since 2014; and it is being co-sponsored by the forward-looking Lagos State government and renown philanthropist Sir Kensington Adebutu, a.k.a Baba Ijebu.
A gesture Oshodi is not taking for granted: “Over the years, Lagos State has supported table tennis by providing infrastructure and logistics in various ways to support events. It has grown to become an international hub for table tennis in Africa.
“We have also developed the expertise and volunteers to service the events. Kudos must go to the Lagos State Government.
“We look to bring more exciting events to Lagos and increase the volume of sports tourism to the state. This also helps to boost the economy of the state,” he affirmed.
Elected to serve with some experienced hands in table tennis on the continent, Oshodi, who is now the only Nigerian heading a continental sports organisation, said table tennis will grow in leaps and bounds under his watch with a united force of all stakeholders.
“Together, we will continue to break boundaries and ensure that African talents shine on the world stage,” he remarked, adding that with the right funding and sponsorship, focus on youth development would blossom under his watch
“We have people on the (ATTF) board with requisite experience in these areas (funding and sponsorship), “people who have succeeded in various fields in raising funds. If there is a need, we will work with consultants versed in this area.
“We believe we have a very exciting product, and we need to find ways to present it properly to the fans.
“This in turn will bring our sponsors to the table,” Oshodi, the self-confessed bibliophile and peripatetic, added.
Petra Sorling, President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), has pledged unwavering support to the newly elected Executive Council of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) as they strive to grow the sport across the continent. Sorling made this commitment during the Elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the ATTF, held at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Headquarters in Addis Ababa on October 15, 2024.
Sorling, a special guest at the AGM, praised Africa’s abundant talent and emphasized the importance of nurturing these talents to achieve greatness. She commended the outgoing ATTF President, Khaled El-Salhy, for his significant contributions to the sport during his tenure.
“We have achieved great teamwork here and see many possibilities ahead. Africa has immense talent, and table tennis is a sport for all, for life. The ITTF is here to support each of you. I congratulate Oshodi and commend the hard work of my dear friend Khaled El-Salhy, who has served since 1996 with great respect, Sorling stated.
She also highlighted the dedication of the new leadership, particularly Wahid Enitan Oshodi and Dr. Alaa Meshref, both esteemed members of the ITTF Executive Committee. Sorling expressed her pride in their efforts and reaffirmed ITTF’s commitment to supporting African table tennis.
“I am very pleased to have the chance to say a few final words here. I look forward to meeting you and serving you as ITTF President. I am excited about the new year and the new term for the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF),” she added.
