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Tag: Molade Okoya-Thomas

  • Okunnu endorses Sportsville’s posthumous award for  ‘colossus’ Okoya-Thomas  

    Okunnu endorses Sportsville’s posthumous award for  ‘colossus’ Okoya-Thomas  

    One of the longest serving secretaries of the Lagos State Football Association, Uthman Okunnu, has described the late Molade Okoya-Thomas as a Colossus whose footprints in sports philanthropy in Nigeria will be difficult to erase.

    Reacting to the posthumous award nomination of the late business mogul by Sportsville Communication, Okunnu, an Executive Director, Technical at the  Lagos State Sports Commission,  noted that the late philanthropist gave his all to the development of table tennis in Nigeria nay Africa.

    “The Asoju Oba Table Tennis Tournament which he started is today over 50 years old. I cannot remember any other tournament that has lasted long like the Asoju Oba Table Tennis Tournament.

    “That the late Okoya-Thomas single-handedly sponsored this tournament throughout his lifetime shows how passionate he was in unearthing talents and honing their skills to stardom.

    “Tell me any table tennis star today that didn’t emerge or played in the Asoju Oba Table Tennis Tournament! Is it the like of Olympic star like Bose Kaffo or the rave of the moment Haruna Quadri!

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    “That was why I was so elated when I read that Sportsville will be honouring him in this year’s award ceremony. Though he got a lot of honours during his lifetime, but to me, this is a great one coming after his demise over 10 years ago, and the table tennis community will definitely applaud this,” Okunnu, fondly called Blatter, added.

    The late Okoya-Thomas will be honoured in the Icon Category alongside great personalities like veteran referee, Linus Mba, Founder of the first Sports TV Station in Nigeria, Osa Sunny Adun, Media and Marketing guru, Rotimi Pedro and Nigeria’s only individual Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah.

    The award ceremony holds on Thursday, April 3rd  at the magnificent Eko Club, Surulere Lagos.

    Over 25 persons will be decorated with awards in five categories on the night.

  • Molade Okoya-Thomas  Table Tennis  Championships: Ondo claims mixed doubles title as singles hit knockouts

    Molade Okoya-Thomas  Table Tennis  Championships: Ondo claims mixed doubles title as singles hit knockouts

    Ondo State have claimed the  Mixed Doubles event at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championships at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

    The duo of Joshua Oladiran and Kehinde Adeyinka secured the title by defeating Edo’s Amadi Omeh and Anu Ajuwon in a thrilling 3-2 match (12-14, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11).

    Meanwhile, after three days of intense preliminary rounds in the Men’s and Women’s Singles, the knockout stage will expectedly  begin today.

    The para events have also been highly competitive, with Paralympians dominating their categories.

    In the women’s para category, Commonwealth Games medallist Faith Obiora was unexpectedly knocked out by Kwara’s Taiye Oyinloye. Oyinloye advanced to the final but was defeated by another Commonwealth Games medallist, Kate Oputa of Delta, who won 3-1 (11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9) to become the Women’s Class 1-5 champion.

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    Out of 109 players registered for the Men’s Singles, 16 have been seeded, while the remaining 93 competed fiercely for the 16 available slots in the main draw. The successful players will join the top seeds in the first round of the main draw, starting today.

    The competition is expected to be fierce, with top players like national champion Matthew Kuti, Abulbasit Abdulfatai, Jamiu Ayanwale, Muiz Adegoke, and Amadi Umeh all vying for the title.

    Former champion Rilwan Akanbi expressed his ambition to win the tournament now that it has become a national event.

    “I am happy that the tournament has gone national now, and this will surely allow the best players in the country to compete, unlike when it was meant for Lagos state players alone,” Akanbi said.“ Now, it is obvious that it is going to be tougher to win the title this year, but I have been training for this, and I hope I can make it this year again, having won the previous editions of the competition.”

  • Paralympians seek titles at Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis tourney

    Paralympians seek titles at Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis tourney

    Paralympians Isau Ogunkunle and Faith Obazuaye top the list of participants at the 56th  Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championship, which kicks off  today in Lagos.

    Regarded as the longest-running table tennis tournament in Africa, having started in 1968, the tournament will, for the first time, be played nationally. Players from 21 states and 67 clubs will compete for honours in 13 events.

    Africa’s sole medallist at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Ogunkunle, will lead the Ogun State contingent to the six-day tournament as he aims to become the first player in class 1 to 5 to win the Men’s Singles title. Additionally, two-time Paralympian and Commonwealth Games medallist, Obazuaye, will travel from Benin City, Edo State, to compete in what promises to be a gathering of the best in the Women’s Class 6 to 10 Para event.

    More than 350 players from across the country will descend on Lagos to compete for the improved prize purse at stake. This competition continues to produce some of Nigeria’s finest table tennis players.

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    A confident Ogunkunle believes that making the tournament national will allow Para players to test their skills against one another. He expressed optimism about his chances of claiming the national title. “We have a lot of players already confirmed for the tournament, and this is a good development for us as Para players, as the best players in the country are in Lagos. I must commend the family of Okoya-Thomas for opening up the tournament for us. This is another platform for us to showcase our talents and assess ourselves as players,” he said.

    Tournament referee John Peters noted that the turnout is the highest in the history of any national tournament.

    “I am excited about the turnout this year, as the tournament has become a national event. I am particularly overwhelmed by the number of participants, and this will surely allow the national handlers to scout for a new set of players who will be groomed to become world beaters. It promises to be exciting, considering the quality of players and the turnout for the championships,” he said.

  • Record entry for ‘upgraded ’ Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis tourney

    Record entry for ‘upgraded ’ Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis tourney

    A record 355 table tennis players across 22 states and 67 clubs have registered to play in the 56th  Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis championships.

    According to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Kweku Tandor is the highest entry since the inception of the championship in 1968.

    Billed to serve off on Monday, January 27, and end on Saturday, February 1, 225 male players will be playing with over 100 women competing in 13 events.

    At a press conference marking the commencement of the tournament in Lagos, Deji Okoya-Thomas announced that the family decided to expand the tournament to a national level due to numerous appeals from table tennis stakeholders within and outside Nigeria.

     “This year is particularly special as the tournament will extend beyond Lagos State to become a national event for the first time since its inception in 1968. This decision comes in response to numerous appeals to allow the best players from across the country to compete in a supportive environment that brings out their best,” he said.

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    He added, “Notably, this tournament remains the longest-running table tennis competition in Nigeria and Africa, with many participants achieving continental and international success. Before his passing in 2015, the late business mogul promised that the tournament would outlive him, and we are proud to see that his promise has been fulfilled, with the tournament continuing to flourish for 11 years.”

    Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, lauded the family for upholding the legacy of the competition’s initiator while pledging the government’s commitment to supporting grassroots sports development.

    Dikko commended the family for their dedication since the initiator’s demise in 2015 and emphasized that talents discovered through such tournaments would be supported to achieve podium finishes at major events like the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

  • Pomp as Molade Okoya-Thomas Cup marks 55th edition

    Pomp as Molade Okoya-Thomas Cup marks 55th edition

    Nigeria’s oldest sports tournament, Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Cup marks its 55th edition this year as players across Lagos battle for trophies and prize money at the three-day tournament taking place at Teslim Balogun Stadium.

    The tournament which has produced some of the country’s finest table tennis stars including the legendary Atanda Musa started in 1968 by the late business mogul Molade Okoya-Thomas to mark his installation as the then Asoju Oba of Lagos.

    This year’s edition will kick off on Monday December 18 to 20 with players competing in the senior and junior divisions as the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA) has promised to use the tournament to select its team for the 2024 National Sports Festival. 

    Deji Okoya-Thomas said this year’s marks another milestone celebration of the competition which has continued to churn out players for the country while pelding the commitment of the family to the annual staging of the championships.

    “We want to continue to uphold the legacy of our late father, by ensuring that we mark every milestone edition with unique activities and for this year, we hope to make it distinct by ensuring that we reward the players and participants with good prizes. We are aware of the economic challenges across the country but in our usual style, we will stage the tournament in a low-key way hoping that it will fulfil the ideal of the founder of the competition,” he said.

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    He added: “With the large turnout of players for a recent tournament in Lagos, we believe that more young players will again come through this tournament just like the likes of Olufunke Oshonaike, Bose Kaffo and a host of others have come through to become stars in Africa and the world. But we also lay emphasis on the education of the athletes because we want to follow the ideals of our father, we most times preached education with sports during his lifetime being a former athlete himself. We hope the best players will again emerge this year as we look forward to an exciting tournament.”

    For the chairman of LSTTA, Tunji Lawal, the family of late Okoya-Thomas should be commended for keeping faith with the consistent staging of the tournament event after the demise of the initiator. “We must commend the family for their efforts to sustain the tournament on yearly basis and we want to use the tournament to pick our team for the 2024 National Sports Festival and after that we want to start a league that we keep the players in shape for the championships. We have realised that our players must be active for them to perform at their best in major tournaments and we are hoping that new players will come through this year as usual,” Lawal said.

  • Molade Okoya-Thomas’ wife laid to rest

    The bond between lovers transcends the realm of the living. The saying ’till death do us part’ does not adequately capture the eternal power of love. Chief (Mrs) Olivet Abosede Okoya-Thomas proved that much with her passing away last month, barely a year after her husband and former Asoju Oba of Lagos, Chief Molade Okoya Thomas, joined his ancestors.

    It was a celebration of life well spent last week when the remains of Lady Chief Olivet Okoya Thomas, who died in Lagos early last month, was interred. The wake had taken place penultimate Wednesday at the Dorchester Event Centre. The funeral service took place at Holy Cross Cathedral Church, Lagos Island, with a reception at the Harbour Point event centre, Victoria Island. In attendance were Chief Mrs Nike Akande, Dorothy Ufot, Sunny Kuku, Chief Rasaq Akanni Okoya, Modupe Oguntade and many others. She is survived by her children, Yinka Taiwo and Deji Okoya-Thomas, Tosin Bakare, Hon. Jumoke Okoya -Thomas and many grandchildren.  Olivet was until her death a businesswoman. Her last outing was at the first year remembrance of her late husband in February. The deceased was the younger sister of Mrs. Leila Euphemia Apinke Fowler.

  • My dad’s last moment, by daughter

    My dad’s last moment, by daughter

     •Mark, Ikuforiji, Kalu, Otudeko eulogise Asoju-Oba

     

    E was cheerful and looking forward to resuming work this Thursday after a short bed rest.  He gave me an assignment to carry out for him in the office ahead of his resumption.”

    Those were the words of one of the daughters of the late business mogul and socialite, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, Mrs. Tosin Alobo-Bakare, who saw him last before his demise on Sunday night.

    Okoya-Thomas, 79, passed on at 9:15pm at Reddington Hospital, Victoria Island, Lagos, few hours after he was taken there.

    According to Mrs. Alobo-Bakare, her father had difficulty breathing at 7pm.

    She said: “I was with my dad around 5pm where he assigned me some duties to carry out in the office ahead of his resumption on Thursday.

    “He was cheerful and longing to start work after being on bed rest.

    “I left him here at his house and went to my home. At 7pm while I was having fellowship, I got a call that my dad could not breathe well.

    “I rushed down to his place and we rushed him to Reddington Hospital where he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

    “They tried to revive him but he passed on at 9pm.”

    A pained daughter described her father as a caring, humble and God fearing man.

    “My father taught us to love the family, people and ourselves. In our upbringing, he taught us to treat everybody equally and be humble.

    “He told us not to see ourselves better or higher than others.  He has a lot of humility and wisdom. We will miss him,” she added.

    Senate President David Mark said the deceased lived  his life for the good of all.

    “Chief Okoya-Thomas was a big brother who showed tremendous interest in my well-being and always encouraged me in the pursuit of my endeavor.

    “He was a sports enthusiast and philanthropist par excellence, who lived an eventful life worthy of emulation.”

    Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji  described him as “an uncommon patriot, a foremost sports administrator, an industrialist of uncommon pedigree and a philanthropist, whose great contributions towards human and sports development can never be wished away in a hurry”.

    The Speaker said:  “The sudden demise of this uncommon patriot, a juggernaut in the socio-economic and human development has robbed our nation of one of its very best citizens.

    “It is regrettable that the nation will be missing him at this crucial period of the nation’s political re-engineering.”

    Former Lagos State Governor  Bola Ahmed Tinubu said: “He was too good, too humane, quiet unassuming and extremely generous with his time and resources. His breed is very rare. I am deeply saddened by his demise”.

    Tinubu who was one of the early visitors to register his  condolence at the home of the late industrialist of the CFAO fame went back memory lane to say that Lagos will never forget him for his contributions to builing a Lagos that is strong and self reliant. “He was of the first generation of elites who laid the foundation for Lagos and for decades was a good ambassador for Lagos”.

    He touched many lives and many Lagos residents will never forget him

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, described the deceased as an inspiring sports legend and illustrious Lagosian.

    “The most inspiring sports legend and illustrious son of Lagos State. A pride to all Nigerians. My promise to you is to keep your good work going in whatever position I find myself. True love always. Papa sleep well.”

    The state APC Chairman, Chief Henry Ajomale, eulogised the late philanthropist, adding that the nation would miss him at this critical time.

    Chairman, Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko, said Okoya-Thomas was an embodiment of virtues.

    “Chief was an embodiment of goodness, loving, genuine, caring and Godly. May heaven accept this noble soul in paradise and bless his heritage in Jesus’ name.”

    Former Abia State Governor Orji Kalu described the deceased as a consummate philanthropist, whose demise is a great loss to the country.

    He said the late Okoya-Thomas was an astute entrepreneur who contributed to the social, economic and political development of Nigeria.

    The French government has said it would not forget the efforts made by the deceased towards fostering ties between Nigeria and France.

    The Consular General, Embassy of France in Lagos, François Sastourne, described the late entrepreneur as an old and true friend of France, who helped in promoting French culture in Nigeria.

    He stated that Okoya-Thomas was till his death, the Chairman of the Alliance Francaise, a post he held for over two decades.

    “He sat on so many boards of French companies in Nigeria and was very helpful in promoting closer ties between both countries. For this, he was decorated with the highest honour by the French government.

    Renowned accountant Bode Agusto eulogised the late philanthropist, saying his impact at the Lagos State University (LASU) cannot be underestimated. “Thank you for your fatherly advice when I was at Lagos State University. May your soul rest in perfect peace.”

    Mrs. Onikepo Oshodi described the late Okoya-Thomas as a leader and a gentleman.

    “Asoju-Oba Molade Okoya-Thomas was a gentleman to the core and we shall all miss his leadership qualities. May his gentle soul rest in peace. Great man! What a loss,” she said.

    In his remarks, Chief Mike Inegbese of Ineh-Mic Autos, who was accompanied by his wife said: “Our High Chief and uncle, may your gentle soul rest in the bosom of our heavenly father. You were surely a rare gem.”

    Other dignitaries who flocked the home of Okoya-Thomas included Erelu of Lagos Abiola Dosunmu; former Miss Nigeria Nike Oshinowo; industrialist and Aare of Lagos Chief Razak Okoya; Publisher, Guardian Newspaper, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, amongst others.

  • Award for Fashola, wife

    Award for Fashola, wife

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and his wife, Abimbola will be inducted as patron and matron of Eko Nite of Music, Culture and Awards on March 29.

    Chief Executive Officer of Jim Tim Nig Ltd, organisers of the award, Olusegun Olutimehin, said it would hold at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos between 4pm and 10pm.

    The event will feature the recognition of Lagos’ heroes and the induction of past Lagos governors into the Eko Hall of Fame. The Asoju Oba of Lagos Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas will chair the event; former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu is chief host.

    Olutimehin said the event is supported by the Council for Arts and Culture, Ministry of Information & Strategy and LTV among others.

  • Society honours Okoya-Thomas

    Society honours Okoya-Thomas

    The Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) will honour Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CFAO Nigeria Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas and, Founder, Kesington Adebutu Adebukunola Foundation, Chief Kesington Adebutu with the award of Selfless Service to God and Humanity on Friday at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos.

    It is part of the activities marking the organisation’s Sixth Founder’s Day Annual Lecture.

    The theme for the year’s lecture is: “Transparency in Service, The Hallmark of True Leadership.”

    The Guest Speaker is Prof Vincent Anigbogu, the director-general, Institute for National Transformation.

    The event will be chaired by former President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Doyin Owolabi, while the Special Guest of Honour is former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lt.-Gen Jeremiah Useni.

    Father of the Day is former Head of State and Patron, BSN, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

     

  • Asoju-Oba Table Tennis Tourney : Reminiscence’s and innovation

    The 45th Annual Asoju-Oba Table Tennis Championships will for a long time be remembered for the innovation it came with and gift of cars that were reminiscent of the 1984 and 2009 editions.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the competition has been solely sponsored uninterruptedly by a business mogul, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, in memory of his late father.

    In 1984, the tournament gave out a Peugeot 504 saloon car to the winner of the male category, Attanda Musa, who defeated the late Yomi Bankole popularly called the “Hawk’’, in the singles event.

    The winner of the 2009 edition of the competition, Seun Ajetumobi, now a foreign-based professional, benefitted from the largesse of the philanthropist. He won a Renault Saloon Car for defeating Gbenga Anthony in the male category.

    Ganiat Ogundele, winner of the female event of that year, also received a Renault car after defeating Atinuke Oladele.

    This year, the winners in both categories, Olajide Omatayo in the male category, and Tolu Durosimi-Etti in the female, were given Chevrolet Saloon cars and N30,000 each. The competition was held from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

    Omotayo defeated Olayiwola Mojeed 4-1 to lift the title after a tie, ending the contest in 11-6, 14-12, 11-8, 6-11 and 11-8.

    Durosimi-Etti, who shed tears of joy as she received the car from Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, out-served Williams Taiwo 4-1, ending the contest 11-7, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6 and 11-6.

    The runners-up in both categories, Shobayo Bolaji and Adeyinka Hammed in the men’s and Hassan Funke and Udoh Ayo, received N20, 000 and a refrigerator each.

    The innovation in the championships is that physically challenged players were admitted into the competition for the first time, and winners rewarded with N10,000 each.

    The winners in both categories are Ogunbona Ahmed, who defeated Damilola Owoyele in the male, and Oluchi Onokam who beat Gloria James 3-0. There is no doubt that the competition which has always attracted table tennis fans from Lagos and beyond is an avenue for the state to produce world beaters.

    Thus, one is not in doubt as to why the state is in the forefront of the game in Nigeria, and has products of the championships plying their trade in different countries.

    It is noteworthy that, at the last National Sports Festival, tagged “Eko 2012” staged by Lagos State, the host led the medals table chart with gold medals in the men and women singles, women and men doubles, men’s team event and mixed doubles. Lagos State had led the chart in the 2011 edition of the festival in Port-Harcourt.

    Some of the foreign-based professionals are Seun Ajetumobi, who plays in Portugal, Monday Merotoun in Spain and Ganiat Ogundele in Italy. From the foregoing, it is instructive that other states and the Federal Capital Territory begin to seek ways of lifting the game or other sports in their respective domains.

    Meanwhile, some participants at the championships commended the sponsor and called for the competition’s sustenance.

    Wahid Enitan-Oshodi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Social Development, applauded Okoya-Thomas for his commitment to the development of table tennis in the state and the country at large.

    Enitan-Oshodi described Okoya-Thomas as a patriotic sports enthusiast.

    He added: “The Asoju-Oba Championships are the only constant tournament that gives hope to Lagos table tennis players and produce numerous professionals.’’

    A player, Ashimiyu Ganiyu, told NAN that he was impressed with the large turnout of players and officials at the five-day championships.

    Ganiyu said: “From my own observation, this is the first time that this tournament is recording such a remarkable number of spectators and players. The seasoned officials did a good job.’’ He expressed the hope that the championships would live beyond the sponsor.

    Ranti Lajide, an International Table Tennis Federation umpire, told NAN that the championships provided a platform for identification of a large number of upcoming talents.

    “The competition has been yielding dividends at the grassroots; it has always provided the opportunity to identify upcoming talents,’’ Lajide said.

    For a para table tennis player, Oluchi Onoja, the inclusion of physically challenged players in the 2013 edition is commendable.

    • Ifeanyichukwu wites for NAN

     

    She pleaded for continuity of the championships, saying that it would afford physically challenged persons the opportunity to attain their goals.