The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ajoke Ojomu

  • Abiodun, Toriola, others may get improved ranking

    Despite their early exits at the 2019 ITTF World Championships in Budapest, Nigeria’s Bode Abiodun, Segun Toriola, Olajide Omotayo, Olfunke Oshonaike, Edem Offiong and Ajoke Ojomu may get improved ranking when the May 2019 ITTF ranking is released next week.

    From their performance in Budapest, it was clear that the win recorded by the Nigerians will rub off positively on their fortune in the latest ranking.

    Despite going out from the group stages, Toriola, Omotayo, Oshonaike, Offiong and Ojomu will be rewarded for their victory against their opponents with ranking points as well as participation bonus points when the rating will be unveiled.

    However, Abiodun who was unbeaten in the group may get a much more improvement following his exploits in the group and for making the knockout round of the preliminary.

    The best performing African player in the competition is Aruna Quadri and there are strong indications that he might jumped into top 20 in the world.

    Despite exiting in the first round of the men’s singles, Egypt’s Omar Assar and Ahmed Saleh may also gain some points for starting their campaigns from the main draw.

    Dina Meshref, the only African female player that progressed to the second round of the women’s singles will surely get an improved rating when the ranking is released next week.

  • Oyetayo stuns Jamiu as Otu-Akpan claims singles titles

    Oyetayo stuns Jamiu as Otu-Akpan claims singles titles

    The best of table tennis was on display at the weekend at the maiden Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) National Championships as Sola Oyetayo rallied from 0-3 down to stun Azeez Jamiu, to claim the men’s singles title.
    The colourful final was well-attended by dignitaries across the country include Director, Grassroots Sports of Ministry of Youth and Sports, Demola Are as well as proprietor of Nath FC of Lagos, Yemi Idowu and to their expectations, the tournament lived up to its billing.
    From the outcome of the men’s singles final, it was obvious that the country is blessed with abundant talents, while the comeback of the Sola Oyetayo was the climax of the championship.
    From the start of the encounter, it was as if Azeez Jamiu was in the driver seat racing to a 3-0 lead. But a sheer determination coupled with his calmness became the joker for Oyetayo, as the player rallied from 0-3 down to win at 4-3 to the admiration of the fans and dignitaries who enjoyed every moment of the encounter.
    Member of the female national team, Cecilia Otu-Akpan displayed her skill against Fatimo Bello as the Cross River-based star defeated the Lagos’ Bello 4-0 to claim the women singles titles.
    For her feat in junior and senior events, Ajoke Ojomu was adjudged the most valuable female player of the competition with cash reward to show for her efforts.
    Ojomu, a member of Abuja-based G20 team claimed the women and junior girls’ team titles at the five-day tournament held at the Indoor Hall of the National Stadium.
    According to the Tournament Director, John Peters, the tournament would surely help members of the Nigeria junior team going to the 2016 ITTF World Junior Championships holding in South Africa later this month. “The championships served as a final training session for our South Africa- bound junior players. Happily, the young lads and lasses lived up to expectations. They not only won several prizes, but also won awards as the players of the championships in both female and male categories. The organisation was super and praise worthy. I wish our ambassadors to the ITTF Junior World championships a good outing. I must also give kudos to the NTTF President, Wahid Oshodi for rallying his friends to sponsor the competition. I call on al lovers of table tennis in Nigeria to support him to ensure that there are top performing players to succeed the Toriolas, the Oshonnaikes and the Arunas when they retire,” Peters said.

  • ITTF World Junior Championships: Ojomu leads Nigerian team to Cape Town

    ITTF World Junior Championships: Ojomu leads Nigerian team to Cape Town

    As the only junior female player that made it to the last 16 of the 2016 ITTF Nigerian Open, Abuja-based Ajoke Ojomu will lead the eight-man Nigerian contingent to this month’s International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Junior Championships holding in Cape Town, South Africa.

    Ojomu, who was also instrumental to Nigeria’s qualification for the championship will have Tosin Esther Oribamise, Agnes Onoja and Alimot Ayinla as members of the Nigerian girls’ team to the competition.

    The boys’ team will have bronze medallist in the boys’ singles of the African Junior Championship, Azeez Solanke as well as Amadi Omeh, Tobi Falana and Rilwan Akanbi.

    The players were selected after a rigorous training exercise conducted under the watchful eyes of seven-time Olympian, Segun Toriola in September and the team will join Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and host – South Africa as the continent’s representatives at the one-week championship.

    The team will compete for honours in the singles, doubles and team events of the championships, which serve off on November 30 to December 7.

    According to the President of NTTF, Wahid Oshodi, the tournament would be used to groom female players for the senior national team and add more male players to the senior team. “I hope we will be able to remedy the lack of quality female players in the senior team with the girls’ team going to the World Junior Championships in South Africa. The four young girls on that team need to grab this opportunity and start to build a serious career for themselves. In all this, I must continue to give credit to Olufunke Oshonaike that despite all her years in the game she continues to show great commitment to the cause of our country and we hope these girls can take a cue from her,” Oshodi said.

    Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt will present boys’ and girls’ teams, while Tunisia will have its boys’ team with Algeria presenting its girls’ team for the competition.

    Over 24 countries will present 96 boys and 96 girls that will slug it out in the individual and team events of the competition.

  • Olympics: NTTF plans celebration for legend Toriola

    Olympics: NTTF plans celebration for legend Toriola

    • Calls up 20 for World Juniors in South Africa

    To follow the footsteps of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) is planning a befitting celebration for the first African to attend seven Olympic Games, Segun Toriola.

    According to the President of NTTF, Wahid Oshodi, it behooves on the federation to honour Toriola for his giant stride in the sport while there are plans to recommend the former African champion and others for national honours.

    “The NTTF will definitely be celebrating the Legend with a series of activities in Nigeria. His achievements are so inspiring that we must find a way to say thank you to this great talented patriotic Nigerian. The IOC, the ITTF and the ATTF have led the way and we surely will ensure that we give him a befitting award. We are also hopeful that the Ministry of Youth and Sports will join us in this laudable quest. This will be done at a time to fit into his busy schedule.”

    He added: “We shall also be making a fervent case for athletes like Toriola, Funke Oshonaike Bose Kaffo and Babatunde Obisanya  alongside other remarkable athletes outside football and athletics be recognized when national honours are being awarded.”

    Meanwhile, the federation is poised to build on the performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as it has called up 20 players made up of 12 boys and eight girls for this year’s World Junior Championship holding later in the year in Cape Town, South Africa. The camping begins on Monday, August 23 to September 3 at the National Training Centre of Lagos National Stadium.

    Teenage sensations – Abayomi Animasahun and Tosin Oribamise top the list of invited players. Others are Azeez Solanke, Amadi Umeh, Michael Abayomi, Augustine Emmanuel, Jamiu Ayanwale, Ololade Oyenekan, Tobi Falana, Etim Orok, Babafemi Babatunde and Umar Ibrahim made up the boys’ list, while the girls are – Agnes Onoja, Ajoke Ojomu, Alimot Ayinla, Rofiat Jimoh and Sukurat Aiyelabegan.

    The NTTF further said: “On his return to Nigeria from Rio, Toriola will lead a two week training session for the 20 junior players invited to camp for selecting the team that will represent Nigeria at the World Junior Table Tennis Championships holding in Cape Town, South Africa in November/December this year.”