The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open

  • More Nigerians to make ITTF ranking list

    With the performance of some Nigerian players in the last ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open may aided the entrance of the players into the latest world ranking to be released by the world table tennis ruling body this week.

    Top among the Nigerian players that his name will be inked on the list is Tobi Falana who, beyond all odds, made it to the last 16 of the men’s singles as a qualifier after causing an upset in the main draw (round of 32).

    To be among the top 16 elite stars in the men’s singles event, Falana bundled out number 15 seed, Ghana’s Felix Lartey 9-11,5-11,11-8,17-15,11-9,13-11 (4-2).

    Falana however, met his Waterloo against the eventual champion, Finland’s Benedek Olah but the young Nigerian told NationSport, “I think this is the best achievement for me especially making it to the last 16 of an ITTF World Tour. I am hoping that I can make the world ranking list this year,” he said.

    Also, Ahmed Bello, who after battling from the preliminary to make it to the main draw had an easy ride to the main last 16 after walking over Morocco’s Mounaim Tirselt.

    There are indications that the winner of the 2016 ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open, Benedek Olah will move up the ranking table.

    Listed at no. 149 on the Men’s World Rankings at the start of the year in January, Benedek Olah is presently named at a career high figure of no. 74 and is now surely destined to climb higher.

  • ITTF Nigeria Open: It’s tougher to win this year – Quadri admits

    ITTF Nigeria Open: It’s tougher to win this year – Quadri admits

    Having played in his first final of the annual ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open in 2015, Aruna Quadri admitted that despite the absence of three-time winner, Egypt’s Omar Assar, clinching the title might be a bit tougher this year.

    The 2014 ITTF Star Player told NationSport from his base in Portugal that the presence of top players from Europe would make it more competitive for all participants, adding that ranking does not win matches.

    “I must admit that the level of play this year will for sure improve considering the quality of players on the entry list. It’s going to be more difficult this year and I am hoping to be in my best form in order to make my country and my fans proud at home,” he admitted.

    The 2016 African champion, however, said the absence of the Egyptian superstar would not take away the glamour and colour of the tournament, adding that his presence would have improved the tournament’s standard.

    “I don’t think that the absence of Omar Assar will take away the shine off the competition rather the presence of top players from Europe will bring more glamour and make it more competitive this year. I must also say that it will be rather hard to win the title this year, unlike in the past that the tournament was dominated by African players,” he said.

    He enthused: “My target is to do so much better than last year, but it is not going to be easy at all because we are having more better European players on the list and some Asian players as well and South American players.”

    Apart from the competitive nature of the championship this year, the status of the tournament has been raised with the quality of players competing this year and this Quadri believes would help the local players. “The presence of more European players this time around means that ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open is now gaining ground and getting more popular than before as more players around the world are also showing interest from the list of participants,” he said.

    A confident Quadri however, said, “Yes of course, it is very possible to win the title this time around but it is not going to be an easy task. It is going to be a tough tournament for all and I pray God to be on my side from the beginning to the end.”

  • 20 players for NTTF U-16 Super League

    National cadet sensation, Abayomi Animashaun will have his hands full when he compete against 19 other players across the country in the Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) U-16 Super League holding on Saturday May 14 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

    The one-day championship serves as a dress rehearsal for next week’s $46,000 prize money ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open with the players aiming to have a share of the mouthwatering prize money at stake.

    As the climax of the one-week tournament which involved over 100 players across the country, the Super League will have the top 12 (boys) and eight (girls) battle it out for the mouthwatering prize money at stake.

    For the referee of the tournament, John Peters, the championship promises to be explosive as most of the players are targeting places in the national team as well as share from the prize money.

    “I will not be surprise if new players dethrone the established ones because there were surprises during the qualifiers for the Super League. Players we had expected to have easy ride were sent packing while unknown players made it to the Super League. This has surely given us the outlook of what to expect at the one-day tournament. Fans across Lagos and its environs should come around as see another Segun Toriola and Aruna Quadri emerging from the championship,” the ITTF blue badge umpire said.

    The Rio 2016 Olympics bound-official added: “I believe the Super League is a dress rehearsal for the main event next week, the ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open. This will also afford the young players the opportunity to tune up for the championship and I will not be surprised if any of them causes an upset next week.”

    Meanwhile, the draws for the Super League has been released by NTTF with the 12 boys drawn into four groups with each group made up of three players while the girls were drawn into two groups of four each.

    For the boys, the top two players in each group progress to the quarterfinal stage while the top two players in the girls’ event advance to the semifinal round of the competition.

  • ITTF Nigeria Open: It’s Nigeria time to clinch titles – Toriola

    ITTF Nigeria Open: It’s Nigeria time to clinch titles – Toriola

    Twice Nigerian players have made it to the final of the ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open but they have not been able to clinch the title, and with just a few days to the kick off, former African champion, Segun Toriola believes the title will not be beyond the reach of Nigerian players.

    Toriola, a finalist in the 2013 edition of the competition, said he is optimistic that Nigerian players have the wherewithal to claim the laurel but three-time winner, Egypt’s Omar Assar has been ‘extra-ordinary lucky’ to have claimed the titles ahead of the local players.

    “I think Nigerian players have always been capable of winning the title in all the three editions of the competition. It was just that we were unlucky not to have won the title, having made it to the final twice. I played the final in 2013 and Aruna Quadri made it to the final in 2015. Apart from this, Nigerian players have always been making it to the semifinal stage. I believe we can win the title this year because most of the foreign-based players have been doing very well in their various clubs and the skills and talents of the local players cannot be underestimated,” he said.

    The former Commonwealth champion who will be attending his seventh Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil was, however, thrilled with the turnout of players, particularly participants from Europe and this he says would help raise the standard of the sport in Nigeria. “I believe the presence of players across the globe, particularly the ones from Europe will surely help our players who have not been playing against Europeans. The eyes of the world are now on Nigeria with the giant stride the country has made in the last four years by hosting such quality competition. I am hopeful that our players will surely gain from taking part in the tournament and the profile of the sport will continue to improve in the country,” he added.

  • “Nigerian players are threats to my title dream”

    “Nigerian players are threats to my title dream”

    Egypt’s El-Sayed Lashin narrowly missed out from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games having attended the last three editions, but the former African champion believes he can use the forthcoming ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open to placate his absence in Brazil.

    Lashin in 2014, he came close to clinching the ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open but it was his compatriot, Omar Assar that dented his ambition. But with the absence of Omar Assar this year, Egypt’s El-Sayed Lashin is optimistic that the title is within his reach. He however said that Nigerian players remain major threats to his title dream.

    Despite the presence of more European players including star-studded local players from Nigeria, El-Sayed Lashin may be using the title to pacify himself from missing out of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

    A confident El-Sayed Lashin said: “I must not forget the talents of Nigerian players because they are very skillful and my target in Lagos this year is to ensure I can improve my ranking better than what I am at present as well as try more this year to win the men’s singles title as much as I can.”

    Being his second visit to Nigeria’s populous city, Lashin is seeing Lagos as a good ground for him to claim his first ITTF World Tour title. “During my first time in Lagos, I finished second in the men’s singles behind Omar Assar and I also settled for second place in the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup in 2014 but I hope and believe I can do better this year,” the Egyptian veteran said.

    El-Sayed Lashin is also thrilled with the presence of top European this year in Lagos and he says this would surely add glamour to the championship. “I think this is what has been missing in the competition and now we are having more players coming to coming to compete. I think the level  of  table tennis is going higher  and  this is very good for Nigeria  and  all  players  playing  in this  tournament as it will help their ranking and they will also play against top players,” he added.

    The Egyptian warlord admitted that all players taking part in the tournament have equal chance to win the title while they are all his rivals. “I believe everybody playing in the competition is my rival,” he said.

  • ITTF Premier Lotto: Portugal leads 14 countries to Nigeria

    ITTF Premier Lotto: Portugal leads 14 countries to Nigeria

    European champion, Portugal will lead 15 other countries across the globe to this year’s ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open (Lagos 2016) serving off May 18 to 22 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

    Seven players made up of five male and two female including women’s singles defending champion, 22 year-old Jieni Shao will champion the campaign for the European giant against top players from Russia, Hungary, Egypt, Finland, Slovakia, Romania, Iran, Mexico, Ghana, Congo Brazzaville, Morocco, Tunisia, Congo DRC and Cameroun.

    Already, 122 players have been listed for the tournament, which has been described by the Competition Manager, Mohammed Dawlatly has encouraging.

    “Although it might not be as high as the organizers wanted, but still it is better from last year as we now have 122 players from 16 countries compared to 81 players from 11 countries in 2015 which means players are now more interested to attend this important event,” the ITTF official said.

    Also listed for the tournament is two-time winner of the ITTF World Tour and Hungary’s most success table tennis star, Hungary’s Szandra Pergel. The Hungarian will be hoping to wrestle for the title against Nigeria’s duo of Edem Offiong and Olufunke Oshonaike.

    In the men’s singles, home-boy, Aruna Quadri will have his hand full when he battles against top players from Europe as well his Egyptian rivals.

    Impressed with the number of participants for this year’s tournament, Tournament Director, Ranti Olajide said this once again confirmed the importance players across the world now attached to the championship.

    “As the highest prize money in the Challenge Series of the ITTF World Tour, more players are now willing to be part of the competition in Lagos. Apart from aiming to share from the prize money, they intend to use the championship to amass points for their world ranking as well as qualify for the end-of-year ITTF World Tour Finals. We are indeed excited about the turnout and we hope this year will be more competitive and glamorous based on the quality of the players coming to Lagos,” Olajide said.