Defending champions – Ahmed Adeyinka and Bose Odusanya will face the biggest test of their careers as they battle others in the race for the top spot at the 48th Asoju Oba Molade Okoya-Thomas Cup.
With the men competing in the last 16, the women will be hoping for places in the last four, as Adeyinka will confront giant-killer, Dayo Adenugba, while Odusanya will square up against Taiwo Williams.
In the pairing for the women’s singles quarter-final, junior international, Alimot Ayinla will take one Policewoman, Funke Hassan, Fatimo Bello will face Nimota Aregbesola, while Modinat Yusuf will battle Tolu Durosimi-Etti.
For the men’s singles, Nurudeen Hassan will take on Isiaka Seriki, Joseph Osendukwu battles David Fayele, while Rogba Olawoyin clashes against Rilwan Akanbi.
Seun Adeleye will take on Monsuru Kazeem, Samson Agbaje faces Olakunle Ajulo, while Bolaji Asekun will keep a date against 2015 finalist – Ayo Omotara.
However, 2012 and 2013 women singles champion, Durosimi-Etti believes she is poised to reclaim the title she lost to Odusanya in 2015.
“I am well prepared for this championship having taken part in the just concluded NTTF National Championships. For me, I am confident that nothing can stop me from reclaiming the title this year based on my current form coupled with my warm-up with the national tournament. I am not going to rule out the fact that it is not going to be easy but I am up to the task to prove myself again this year and I look forward to making it to the final on Friday,” she said.
Like Durosimi-Etti, Policewoman Hassan believes she can break the jinx of her losing in the final this year. “This year I don’t want to make any mistake having played in series of final and also making it to the last four at the just concluded NTTF National Championship, I am indeed in a good frame of mind to win the title this year,” Hassan vowed.
Tag: Nurudeen Hassan
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48th Asoju Oba Molade Okoya-Thomas Cup: Adeyinka, Odusanya, others battle for last four in singles
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NTTF National Championships: Singles event serves off as tournament hots up
As the singles event of the ongoing Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) National Championship begins today, the tournament has continued to throw up surprises in the team events.
Already winners have emerged in the team events with focus shifting to the singles as players are eyeing the star prize of N200, 000 jackpot for the singles champions.
Also, the knockout stage of the para event began yesterday with former Paralympians aiming for the coveted trophy as well as the juicy prize money at stake.
Number one seed in the class 6-10 of the para event, Faith Obiora believes she would be unstoppable having featured at the last Rio Paralympic Games.
Also, Nick Chinedu is sure that his ambition of becoming the number para star in the men’s class 6-10 is coming close to reality.
For former national junior champion, Nurudeen Hassan, his aim is to prove his mettle against other top players.
“I am in this competition to show what I can do particularly having being part of the team to the last ITTF Africa Senior Championship held in Agadir, Morocco. The experience I garnered while playing alongside Aruna Quadri and Segun Toriola as well as Bode Abiodun. It is going to be a tall order for me but I am confident that I can be the champion in the men’s singles. I am also fascinated with how the best players across the country are competing in this championship and I just hope we can have more of this in 2017,” Hassan said. -
48th Asoju Oba Molade Okoya-Thomas Cup: Players talk tough ahead of Championship
Players hoping to compete at the 48th Asoju Oba Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Cup have started talking tough with the aim of sharing from the mouthwatering prize money for the annual are at present honing their skills across Lagos in readiness for the tournament.
The annual tournament remains the oldest competition in Nigeria having started in 1968 and has been staged uninterrupted for over 48 years with some of its products being former National Coach, Babatunde Obisanya who won the maiden edition in 1968 as well as the current African women champion, Olufunke Oshonaike.
Training centres dotted in Lagos have been besieged by the players who are eager to sharpen their skills under the guidance of their adopted coaches while stage is also set to unveil packages for this year’s championships.
From junior boys defending champion, Nurudeen Hassan to men’s singles champion, Ahmed Adeyinka, the target for the title remains their priority.Hassan, a member of the senior national team to the last ITTF Africa Senior Championship held in Morocco, believes he hopes to exceed the round of 16 he exited the tournament last year.
“I am ready to battle for the men’s singles title because they experience I had playing alongside the likes of Aruna Quadri, Bode Abiodun and Segun Toriola would be helpful for me in this year’s championship. I hope I can be a title contender and not pretender because I also want to be winner of the Asoju Oba Cup because most the players that have won the competition in the past made their way into the national team to become African stars. I must also admit that it is not going to be an easy task for me because there are a lot of quality players in Lagos State. But I hope to try my best on the title this year,” Hassan said.
For Adeyinka, holding on to the title is his priority as he is targeting the record set by Oladele Sumbo who has won the tournament more than any player since its inception in 1968.
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Quadri remains 25th in ITTF World Ranking
Despite not making it beyond the first round at the ITTF World Cup coupled with his second place finish at the last ITTF Africa Senior Championships, Aruna Quadri maintained his 25th spot in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world ranking released at the weekend.
Also in the November world ranking, African women’s singles champion, Olufunke Oshonaike made a giant stride in the world rating as the Germany-based star rose to 206 from 253 as the highest ranked Nigerian female player in the world.
Seven-time Olympian, Segun Toriola also moved up the ranking as the former African champion is now rated 101 from 109 where he was in October. Toriola maintained his place as the third highest ranked African player in the world.
Bode Abiodun also moved from 183 to 175 in the ranking while Azeez Jamiu, Olajide Omotayo and Nurudeen Hassan made entries into the ranking list.
Quadri’s conqueror at the ITF Africa Senior Championships, Egypt’s Omar Assar fortune improved in the latest ranking as the Egyptian rose from 57 to 49.
Meanwhile, Quadri has solicited the support of his fans globally to vote for him as the ITTF Star Player of the year through the ITTFStarawards.com. -
ITTF Championships: Egypt quakes over Toriola’s arrival
The arrival of Segun Toriola in Morocco late on Monday has thrown Egypt into technical confusion at the ongoing ITTF African Senior Championships holding in Agadir, Morocco.
Prior to the arrival of Toriola, who is regarded as the most successful table tennis player in the continent, the Egyptians were relieved that they would have an easy ride over Nigeria with only Aruna Quadri as the only threat in the team.
But late on Monday, when the North African heard about the arrival of Toriola, their camp has been thrown into confusion with some of their players describing it as a huge challenge for them to reclaim their title in the men’s team event.
Even some of the Egyptian coaches were eager to make an enquiry about the players that would be presenting for the tournament while they took their time to size up Nigerian players like Olajide Omotayo, Nurudeen Hassan and Jamiu Azeez.
They were also convinced that they would have a smooth win over the Nigerians after watching the West African team sweating hard to defeat Tunisia 3-1 in their group match on Monday.
One of the most experienced players in the Egyptian team, Ahmed Saleh told NationSport that Toriola is a dangerous player with a lot of experience, adding that Toriola’s present form might pose a lot of problem to them in the team event.
The Egyptian team are eager to reclaim their title after losing the men’s team title to Nigeria at the 2015 African Games.