The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ITTF

  • ITTF: Africa unites in China

    ITTF: Africa unites in China

    There is no doubt that in Suzhou; Africans are united through table tennis considering the partnership involving Olufunke Oshonaike of Nigeria and Sarah Hanffou of Cameroun in the women’s doubles of the ITTF World Championships in China.

    Although, the union was not consummated during the registration for the tournament but the absence of some Nigerian players may have prompted Olufunke Oshonaike to consider Sarah Hanffou.

    Playing from the main draw of the women’s doubles, the duo overcame African doubles’ champion, Egypt’s Dina Meshref and Nadeen El-Dawlatly 4-1 to book their place in the second round of the event.

    But watching the Nigerian and the Camerounian played on Tuesday, one would not be convinced that they are playing together for the first time as the Chemistry between the two worked very well.

    They seem to have quickly understood each other while their combination confused the young Egyptians. From the start of the match, they dominated giving the continental counterparts a run for their money.

    After the sweet victory, Hanffou admitted that it was exciting partnering one of Africa’s most experienced players as she hopes to learn from her.

    “I think combining with Funke Oshonaike was awesome because she is one of the most experienced players in Africa. I never knew we would understand ourselves like this and it was also a great opportunity to play with the current African champion. I think this should be encouraged in Africa for players from different countries to partner. I am going to really learn from her because despite her age, she is still playing well,” she said.

    The Paris-based legal practitioner added: “Playing against the Egyptians really afforded us the opportunity to test their strength in readiness for the All Africa Games. For me it was fun and I enjoyed every bit of the match and I hope we can continue to progress.”

    For Oshonaike, it was a great experience playing with such a good player who has shown a lot of promises in the sport. “I think Haffou’s comportment and understanding on table is really motivating to me and this has really brought out my best. We talked to each other on table and we also understand ourselves and this is what we need as partners in the doubles event. I am having fun and I am so excited that we were able to defeat African champion,” Oshonaike added.

  • Makanjuola exits singles, hopeful in doubles

    Makanjuola exits singles, hopeful in doubles

    After a blistering start in his campaigns at the ongoing ITTF World Championships, Kazeem Makanjuola yesterday bowed out of the men’s singles event with a 4-3 loss to Argentina’s Tabachnik Pablo.

    Makanjuola who was in good form in his first group match against Maldives’ Moosa Ahmed met his waterloo against the more experienced Argentine.

    From the start of the encounter, the match was in favour of the Argentine but Makanjuola fought back from 3-1 down to level up at 3-3.

    In the deciding match, it was as if Makanjuola was on the winning side until the match got to 10-8 with only a point left for the Nigerian to advance from the group but the ageing Argentine had to use his weapon, which was his service to rattle Makanjuola and this earned him the four points that gave him the much-desired 4-3 victory.

    However, a disappointed Makanjuola admitted to Nation Sport that he could not control his opponent service and this made him commit a lot of unforced errors.

    “I think his service was my undoing throughout the match and in most of his wins, I was always leading 10-6 and he would change to his service to win points against me. Although, he also find it hard to return my service but he garnered more points from his services. It is painful exiting the singles after starting well on Sunday. I am hopeful in my doubles pair of Aruna Quadri,” Makanjuola said.

    The Ogun State-born athlete who won his first match in a world championships however took solace in his victory against the Maldives’ player, saying, “I think I tried my best and winning a match in this tournament has really boosted my confidence in the world as I look forward to more outing like this,” he said.

  • Nigerian athlete takes Mexican citizenship

    Nigerian athlete takes Mexican citizenship

    Prior to 2000, Jude Okoh was an integral member of the Nigeria National Table Tennis Team but when the opportunity presented itself for him to travel to Mexico, he did not waste time to grab it.

    On getting to Mexico, he fell sick and had to undergone operation which was successful and for more than five years, he could pursue a career in table tennis.

    And when the chance came to put his talent to use, Okoh grabbed it and made the Mexican national team to the 2008 World Table Tennis Championship in Guangzhou, China and for more than three years he was an important member of the Mexican team.

    In 2011, Okoh guided Mexico to his first international title with a bronze medal in the team event of the Pan America Games hosted by Mexico.

    This feat paved way for the Nigerian to improve himself in the art of table tennis and today, Okoh is a member of the Mexican national team to the 2015 ITTF World Championships in Suzhou, China.

    Married to a Mexican and blessed with three children, Okoh told Nation Sport on Monday in China that he never regretted moving to Mexico.

    “When I left Nigeria I was still playing in the national team with the likes of Segun Toriola and Monday Merotohun and on getting to Mexico I fell sick and I had to undergo operation and it was successful.

    “I played for Mexican national team and later I became coach/player and it was then in 2011 that I led the Mexican team to win their first international medal in table tennis at the 2011 Pan American Games in the men’s team event. I am now a coach with the team and things have been working well for me”.

    “It was while in Mexico I met my lovely wife and we have three wonderful kids with a beautiful home to live and what else will I ask God to do for me.

    “I will remain grateful to God for this and the Mexicans have appreciated what I have done and still doing and it has become my adopted country,” he said.

    However, Okoh could not but admit that the feat achieved by Aruna Quadri has also made the Mexicans to appreciate him more. “I think the Mexican now appreciate me more after seeing what Aruna Quadri did in the world and for me that is a big boost for my profile and I am looking forward to seeing more Quadri making impact in table tennis,” he added.

  • ITTF: Egypt suffers defeat in Nigeria’s absence

    ITTF: Egypt suffers defeat in Nigeria’s absence

    In spite of the absence of Nigeria at the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Junior Circuit tagged Mauritius Open, Egypt were made to kiss the dust by unknown and unseeded players.

    Nigeria has always been known to be Egypt’s fierce rival in the game of Tennis.

    Although the North African claimed two of the four titles at stake in the team events despite making to the final in the four categories, but they met their Waterloo in the cadet boys and junior girls’ events, while they were untouched in the junior boys and cadet girls.

    Late on Sunday, the unthinkable befell the Egyptians as two of their top players seeded in the junior boys’ singles – Karim Elhakem and Omar Elhamady were dazed in the group matches.

    Elhakem and Elhamady were seeded number three and four respectively in the junior boys’ singles but their rating was rubbished by unseeded players who played their heart out to punish and humiliat the Egyptians to the admiration of the fans at the Beau Basin Gymnasium.

    When it became obvious that Nigeria will not be taking part in the championship, Egypt was on top of the world thinking that they will run over all other teams in the competition.

    But it was Sweden that first jolted Egypt in the cadet boys’ team final while the pairing of Algeria and Norway also dealt a big blow to the North Africans in the junior girls’ team event.

    However, the biggest shock for the Egyptians came in the junior boys’ singles with unseeded Sebastian Morel from the Reunion Island in France battering Egypt’s Elhakem 3-1 in the group match.

    Meanwhile, some minutes after this defeat Egypt again suffered another heartache when 13 year-old unseeded Abdelbasset Chaichi stunned 17 year-old Egypt’s Elhamady 3-2 in an entertaining encounter which got a loud cheering from the fans.

    From the way things are going, it is now clear that Egypt may not dominate proceedings in all the events considering the presence of world’s number 36 female player; 15 year-old Miu Hirano, who is competing in girls’ cadet and junior events.

    Also, the Swedish team is not pushover in the boys’ event as the Scandinavian team is also a force to reckon with in Mauritius.

  • Lagos ITTF World Tour: French club stops Toriola

    French Club, Argentan Bayard has refused to release Nigeria’s Segun Toriola for the forthcoming International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour, Lagos Open, which serves off on March 10 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

    The inability of the French elite club to allow Toriola travel to Nigeria for the championship was due to the crucial league encounter Roanne lntt on March.

    According to Toriola, the exit of one of the team’s top players may have put the pressure on him being the most experienced player in the team.

    “We had a Chinese player, who was playing for our team toward the end of last year but he was sacked because of poor performance, so that onus now rests on me to lift the team. On March 10 when the Lagos ITTF World Tour will kick off, we are to face Roanne lntt and we tried to appeal to our opponents to postpone the match but they refused our request. This has made it impossible for me to leave the team because I cannot play a match on March 10 and travel again to Lagos on March 11, it will be too stressful for me,” Toriola said.

    Toriola, who was recently appointed as the Chairman, Athletes’ Committee of the Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) said: “My club did not agree to release me because they believe so much in me and what I can deliver at the league. The tournament came at a time when I can’t leave my base.”

    Toriola, one of Africa’s, most decorated players, appealed to his fans to bear with him and understand his inability to attend the tour. “I know my fans will be expecting me in Lagos and would be disappointed knowing that I am not coming.

    “I appeal to them to please bear with me and understand that I would have loved to take part in the competition,’’ he said.

    The Olympian said he was confident his compatriots would perform well against the visitors.

    “I have told them to believe in themselves as this is the only way they can make it. I wish them the best at the tournament and promise to keep praying for them,’’ he said.

    Some of the countries taking part in the Lagos Open are Egypt, Portugal, Russia, Republic of Benin, Cameroun, Congo DRC, Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the host, Nigeria.

  • ITTF Ranking: Quadri slides to 32

    ITTF Ranking: Quadri slides to 32

    • As Egypt’s Assar moves to 43

    The quarterfinal defeat suffered in the men’s singles event by Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior Championship held in Cairo, Egypt has adversely affected the fortune of the ITTF Star Player at the February world rating released by the world table tennis ruling body at the weekend.

    For being beaten by Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali, Quadri dropped from 30 in the world to 32 in the latest ranking while his conqueror improved in his rating as the Egyptian moved from 195 to 179 in the world.

    For winning the ITTF Africa Senior Championship, Egypt’s Omar Assar whose last world rating was 66 is now rated 43.

    Despite sliding the world rating, a confidence Quadri amassed 19 points to add more points to his overall points. In January, he has 2,246 points and with his recent slump, he now has 2,265 points.

    “I believe the loss in Cairo may have contributed to my drop and I hope to improve with it this month as I will be competing in series of Pro Tours starting with the Qatar Open this week,” he said.

    Meanwhile, China’s Xu Xin, who made the Men’s World Ranking list in March 2014, maintains his status as the world’s best player in the globe.

    China’s Xin is listed at number one on the Men’s World Rankings issued by ITTF. Top spot for Xin but the top attraction is Robert Gardos.

    The man, who led Austria to a silver medal finish at the World Team Cup in Dubai in January, climbs from 27 to 20 to enjoy his highest ever global status, while his previous best was number 24 in November 2014.

  • ITTF Championships: Nigeria shocks Egypt in men’s doubles

    ITTF Championships: Nigeria shocks Egypt in men’s doubles

    At the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior championship in Cairo, host country, Egypt has made efforts to dominate all the seven titles at stake but their ambitions were thwarted.

    Four of their top players partnered themselves and the top seeds in the event with only the duo of Athe men’s doubles by youthful Nigerian side.

    Before the semifinal tie in the men’s doubles, there was no inkling that Nigeria could make it to the final as none of the players were seeded for the event with the Egyptians dominating being the defending champion.

    And to also ensure that they dominated the event, Egypt assembled all their players to be part of the event with more than half of the 32 pairs of players that took part.

    From the round of 32 that the event started, the top seeded Egyptian players were given a bye to the next round – round of 16 but Nigeria’s pair of Ojo Onaolapo and Jide Ogidiolu who were not seeded began their campaigns from the round of 32.

    Thus, Onaolapo and Ogidiolu, to make it to the final, had to edge out seeded pairs like Congo Brazzaville’s Saka Suraju and Saheed Idowu in the round of 16.

    The icing on the cake for the team was in the semifinal tie against Egypt’s Omar and Khalid Assar after the Nigerian duo bundled out the number five seeded team from Egypt.

    The Nigerians ousted the Assar brother 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 5-11, 12-10, 11-2. “I think we communicated a great deal during the match and we did not allow them to attack”.

    “I just told my partner not to be under pressure and ensure he put the ball on the table because I realized that they cannot cope with my top spin play; we were much focused,” Onaolapo said.

    In the second semifinal match of the Men’s Doubles event, El-Sayed Lashin and Ahmed Ali Saleh, the top seeds, suffered defeat at the hands of Nigeria’s Makanjuola and Quadri, the no. 4 seeds 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-9.
    With this, Nigeria is sure of gold and silver medals in the men’s doubles to halt the continued dominance of the Egyptians on the medal table.

    On the other hand, Nigeria’s Olaide Atinuke and Funke Oshonaike, the no. 6 seeds, suffered a heart breaking seven games defeat against Congo Brazzaville’s Han Xing and Onyinyechi Nwachukwu, the no. 2 seeds (6-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 13-11).
    The defeat came after Cecilia Otu-Akpan and Offiong Edem, the no. 4 seeds, had been beaten by Egypt’s Nadeen El-Dawlatly and Dina Meshref, the top seeds (11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 4-11, 12-10, 15-13).

    “I think we played better after we won the first game; they started to raise their game and we lost concentration, after being two-nil ahead”, said Egypt’s Meshref.

    “We figured out that they were rushing us, we slowed down the game and this gave us an edge to win.”
    Meshref, who claimed that his team played with a great deal of top spin, further added: “At the 2011 All Africa Games we had lost to them, so we were really motivated.”

  • Nigeria’s Onaolapo escapes first round scare

    Nigeria’s Onaolapo escapes first round scare

    What would have been a major setback for Nigeria was averted yesterday at the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior Championship after Ojo Onaolapo escaped a first round scare in the men’s singles against Tunisia’s Kerem Yahia Ben.

    From the start of the encounter the Tunisian wanted to capitalise on Onaolapo’s slow start to finish up the match and this paid off for him as the North African won  11-8. But the Nigerian recovered to level up at 11-9.

    The tricky Tunisian won the third game at 11-8, but Onaolapo restored parity with 11-7 win.

    However, the Nigerian later understood the intelligent Tunisian to put the match beyond his reach by winning the fifth and sixth games at 14-12, 11-6 to complete the 4-2 rout and progress to the round of 32.

    Admitting the difficulty in the game, Onaolapo said: “I have known him from the junior level and most times when we play, our game used to be very tough. He plays with different kinds of rubber and this makes it difficult for me to control the ball. He is very intelligent and he did everything to frustrate me on table. But I had to be calm and concentrate on the game to be able to cage him. In the first I found it difficult to control the ball because I could not understand the game.”

    He added: “But I must be used to this kind of player that uses different kinds of rubber. His rubber is different from others and if I must beat him, I must be ready to get used to his rubber. His trick on the table is another thing I must be ready to cope with and I did that very well to defeat him.”

  • DOUBLES EVENT: Again, it’s Nigeria, Egypt

    DOUBLES EVENT: Again, it’s Nigeria, Egypt

    Egypt are not too  comfortable facing Nigeria in the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior Championship but it is obvious both countries’ rivalry will come to the fore in the semifinal of the doubles’ events tomorrow.

    Without any doubt, the coaching crew of the Egyptian team is always afraid whenever they are to meet Nigeria and this was what played out during the final of the team events.

    Nigerian players edged out some of the Egyptian players in the round of 16 before showing the number three, Congo-Brazzaville, the exit in the quarter-final encounter.

    Congo-Brazzaville’s duo of Saka Suraju and Saheed Idowu were seeded number three in the men’s doubles and they were full of hope to make it to the last four. Unfortunately for them, they met their waterloo against Nigeria’s pair of Ojo Onaolapo and Jide Ogidiolu.

    When the Congolese won the first game, they thought it would be an easy route for them to the semifinal but the change in tactics by the Nigerians became the Central African team’s undoing as they fell flat by 4-1 to taste the biggest defeat of the championship.

    Also, Nigeria’s pair of Aruna Quadri and Kazeem Makanjuola were pitched against Congo-Brazzaville’s Abiodun Lawal and Bienatiki Christ. It was the Congolese that drew the first blood by winning the first game. But it did not take the Nigerians 30minutes before sending them packing from the tournament.

    After losing, Congo Brazzaville’s Bienatiki said: “This is the first time I am partnering Lawal Abiodun to play in doubles because he plays in Spain while I am training in China. When we played the Egyptians in the round of 16, we played well but against Nigeria, it was difficult because Aruna Quadri and Kazeem Makanjuola are very strong individually. Also, we missed a lot of begging chances in the encounter and this affected our game. But I know that if we had trained well together, we could have beaten the Nigerian team.”

    Also, the Egyptian teams had an easy win over their Algerian counterparts in the quarter-final encounters.

    Today, Quadri and Makanjuola will battle Egypt’s duo of El-Sayed Lashin and Ahmed Saleh while Onaolapo and Ogidiolu will keep a date with the Assar brothers – Omar and Khalid in the second semi-final tie.

    Also in the women’s doubles, the two Nigerian teams are already in the last four after edging out Egyptian teams in the quarter-final.

    For the semi-final pairing, Nigeria’s duo of Funke Oshonaike and Olaide Atinuke will battle number two seed, Congo-Brazzaville’s pair of Han Xing and Onyinyechi Nwachukwu, while Cecilia Otu-Akpan and Edem Offiong will tackle number one seed, Dina Meshref for a place in the final later today.

    For making it to the last four, Egypt and Nigeria are sure of medals but the colour of the medals can only be decided after the final match later today.

  • ITTF: Nigeria’s Onaolapo escapes first round in men’s singles

    ITTF: Nigeria’s Onaolapo escapes first round in men’s singles

    What would have been a major setback to Nigeria was averted on Monday at the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior Championship after Ojo Onaolapo escaped a first round scare in the men’s singles against Tunisia’s Kerem Yahia Ben.

    From the start of the encounter the Tunisian wanted to capitalize on Onaolapo’s slow start to finish up the match and this paid off for him as the North African won  11-8. But the Nigerian recovered to level up at 11-9.

    Again the tricky Tunisian won the third game at 11-8 but Onaolapo was able to restore parity with 11-7 win.

    However, the Nigerian later understood the intelligent Tunisian to put the match beyond his reach by winning the fifth and sixth games at 14-12, 11-6 to complete the 4-2 rout and progress to the round of 32.

    Admitting the difficulty in the game, Onaolapo said: “I have known him from the junior level and most times when we play, our game used to be very tough. He plays with different kind of rubbers and this made it difficult for me to control the ball. He is very intelligent and he did everything to frustrate me on table. But I had to be calm and concentrate on the game to be able to cage him. In the first I found it difficult to control the ball because I could not understand the game.

    “But I must be use to this kind of players who use different kind of rubbers. His rubber is different from others and if I must win him, I must be ready to get used to his rubber. His trick on table is another thing I must be ready to cope with and I did that very well to defeat him.”