The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Olalekan Okusan

  • Okusan gets nomination for Nigeria Sports Award

    Okusan gets nomination for Nigeria Sports Award

    NationSport award-winning journalist, Olalekan Okusan has been nominated for the Sports Journalist of the Year (print) of the 2017 Nigeria Sports Award.

    Okusan, the 2016 winner of the award has been nominated alongside two others for the prestigious award ceremony holding on November 17 at Eko Hotel, Lagos.

    In a letter signed by the Event Director of the award, Kayode Idowu, Okusan will know his fate during the grand finale.

    “The Nigeria Sports Award which is in its sixth edition was birthed to honour, reward and appreciate exceptional sports women and men who have excelled in their respective fields and have won laurels for Nigeria. Nigerians have nominated selected sports men and women in various categories deserving the award. We therefore have the honour to congratulate and inform you that you have been nominated along with others in the SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD CATEGORY 2017 (PRINT),” he said.

    For the judging process in which the eventual winner will be determined, Okusan and others nominated in this category are expected to submit their works between November 2016 and October 2017 to the award panel.

    Prior to being crowned winner in 2016, Okusan has made the nomination list at the maiden edition in 2012. In 2012, Okusan was named the Sports Reporter of the Year by the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) as well as the Sports Writer of the Year at the 2012 Sports Business Award.

    Okusan is a widely traveled journalist who has covered several international competitions and a Mass Communication graduate of Crescent University, Abeokuta. 

  • Aruna reigns over Omar Assar at ITTF Africa Cup

    Aruna reigns over Omar Assar at ITTF Africa Cup

    The years of domination by Egypt’s Omar Assar over Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri came to an on Monday, July 3 at the 2017 ITTF Africa Cup in Agadir, Morocco, as the Nigerian dug deep to beat his continental rival 4-3 to emerge as the champion in the men’s singles.

    Also, the victory qualifies Aruna Quadri to this year’s ITTF World Cup, being the second consecutive time the Nigerian will be representing Africa at the global stage.

    Despite playing without any coach, Aruna Quadri knew what was at stake in the encounter and he was calm and collected throughout the match to have an edge over the Egyptian.

    Even when he was losing vital points, Aruna Quadri showed class and even the spectators applauded the Nigerian for his conduct and professionalism during the encounter.

    To emerge as the new African Champion, Aruna Quadri defeated Omar Assar 4-3 and this Nigerian believes luck worked for him in the encounter.

    “I am so happy today that I won because it was not an easy match. I am happy that my backhand worked well in the match because I was afraid to use it against my friend – Omar Assar whom I know was in his best form this time. I think Omar Assar played and that it was just luck, today because sometimes luck plays a crucial role in matches,” Aruna Quadri told NationSport after his victory.

    The Vice President of African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Olabanji Oladapo who watched the final, described Aruna Quadri as a true ambassador of Nigeria who needs more support now.

    “I am so proud of Aruna Quadri and Funke Oshonaike because they played without coach against the Egyptians who had their coaches with them. They made the country proud and the match between Aruna Quadri and Omar Assar was highly technical and this goes to show that we need good and quality coach to handle our players because having played good players without coach and won, it is obvious that we need a more experienced coach to handle our top players. I am so proud and all my colleagues in ATTF congratulated me,” Oladapo said.

  • My expectations were not met in Germany – Onaolapo

    My expectations were not met in Germany – Onaolapo

    After failing to advance beyond the group in the men’s singles of the just concluded ITTF World Championships, Ojo Onaolapo has admitted that he failed to meet his pre-tournament expectations for the competition.

    He however, vowed to redouble his efforts in training to raise his game among his foreign counterparts.

    “I had set the main draw target for myself, unfortunately, I could not meet my expectations and this has once again shown me that I must continue to work hard and redouble my efforts in training so that I can do well in subsequent competitions.

    “Apart from not meeting my targets, I think I have been able to learn new skills from the top players while I took my time to watch them train daily and with this, I can go back to my training and implement all what I learned,” the 2010 Youth Olympic quarterfinalist said.

    For his maiden outing at the global tournament, Onaolapo described it as educative, saying it afforded him the opportunity to watch how some players train and what they do before each match.

    “It is indeed a privilege for me to be in Germany because I was able to see some of the players I had always wanted to meet and also had chats with some of them on their routine. I intend to use of their experience in training and hope that I can continue to get better,” he added.

  • 40th ITF/CAT African junior championships: Quadre gets second round

    40th ITF/CAT African junior championships: Quadre gets second round

    As the 10th seeded player in the girls’ singles event of the 40th ITF/CAT African Junior Closed Championships holding in Tunis, Nigeria’s Oyinlomo Quadre has been given a bye to the second round of the competition.

    Quadre, who recently made headlines after her performance at the West and Central Africa Junior Championship qualifiers in Lome, Togo, will now compete alongside her compatriots – South Africa-based Adetayo Adetunji and Germany-based Andiyo Inwang.

    Adetunji and Inwang got wildcards to be part of the championship, while Quadre was listed as one of the top-ranked junior players in Africa.

    As the highest Nigerian tennis player in any category in the world, Quadre is rated 372nd in the world and she will start her campaign today as she faces the winner between Egypt’s Habiba Khaled Aly and Zimbabwe’s Danai Tanya Chinamo.

    Unlike Quadre who had a bye to the second round, Adetunji and Inwang will start their campaigns in the first round as Adetunji battles Tunisia’s Ferdaous Bahiri, while Inwang will slug it out against Benin Republic’s Carmen Kpadonou.

    Over 40 girls are competing for honours in the singles event of the competition.

    For the national junior coach, Mohammed Ubale, he is hoping that the players would prove their worth against the North Africans who are considered favourites. “I hope our players can hold their own against the North and South African players because they are always considered as favourites in most competitions. I am confident that our players can hold sway against them so that they can also be regarded and respected in the continent. I just hope our players can pick some ranking points from this kind of competition,” Ubale said.

  • Team Nigeria begins campaign at US taekwondo open

    Team Nigeria begins campaign at US taekwondo open

    Team Nigeria will today kick-start their campaign to mount the podium at the 2017 World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-sanctioned US Open as the quartet of Isah Adamu Abubakar, Usman Sulaiman, Edwin Samson and Saturday Bashir take to the mats.
    The athletes are all based in the United States with Abubakar and Sulaiman competing for honours in the men’s -58kg, Samson – 2015 African Games silver medallist will battle for the podium in the -63kg, while experienced Bashir battles for a medal in the 80kg.
    Having been drawn with their various opponents, Samson who was part of Team Nigeria to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifiers in Morocco said: “I think I am ready for this challenge. I have been hurting since I closely missed out on qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and I have started my preparations to make sure that Tokyo 2020 will be different.”
    Also former national champion, Bashir admitted that “the US taekwondo opens is a difficult tournament to win. So many fantastic fighters come from all over the world. I am excited to be in the mix of it all and fighting to win a place on the podium.”
    Apart from Team Nigeria, other African teams aiming for medals at the event include Niger Republic, Senegal, Egypt, Uganda and Cape Verde. The highest profile African competing at the event will be Niger Republic’s Abdoulrazak Alfaga, who won a Silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, a first Olympic medal for the tiny nation of Niger Republic, and he is currently the African Champion in the +87kg heavyweight category.
    Nigeria’s triple Olympian, Chika Chukwumerije, is also at the event to observe the performance of the Nigerians as well as assessment the growing strength of the African opposition, ahead of 2019 All African Games.
    Over 2464 Competitors registered for the 2017 USA Taekwondo Opens to participate in both the kyreougi and Poomsae events, which are categorised into kiddies, cadets and adults. Para-taekwondo will also feature at the event. The adult kyreougi event and para-taekwondo event have a G-1 ranking status from the World Taekwondo Federation.

  • Quadri, others know fate today in latest ITTF ranking

    Quadri, others know fate today in latest ITTF ranking

    There may be possible tilting in the top 30 when the February ranking of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is released today by the world table tennis ruling body with Aruna Quadri and other Nigerians hoping for an improvement in their world rating.
    For his performance at the last Hungarian Open where made it to the quarter-final stage, there are strong indications that Aruna Quadri will rise above 25th in the world, while Italy-based Olajide Omotayo who managed to record a victory in his matches at the Hungarian Open may also benefit in the latest ranking.
    25th in the world being the highest to have been achieved by an African,  Quadri may be hoping to etch another landmark with the possibility of shifting the goal post for other African players to aim at when the ranking is made public today in Switzerland.
    Unlike Aruna Quadri and Olajide Omotayo, the trio of Bode Abiodun, Ojo Onaolapo and Kazeem Makanjuola may be on the receiving ends following their below-par performance at the Hungarian Open as they all suffered defeats in all their matches.
    Quadri’s doubles partner for this year’s ITTF World Tour – Egypt’s Omar Assar may not really benefit from the ranking after not being able to advance beyond the main draw of the Hungarian Open despite being seeded number 15 in the men’s singles of the competition.
  • Hungarian Open was an eye opener, Omotayo admits

    Hungarian Open was an eye opener, Omotayo admits

    Olajide Omotayo was at the just concluded Hungarian Open in Budapest and being his maiden appearance in any European-organised ITTF World Tour, the Italy-based Nigerian admits that attending the tournament has indeed enriched him.

    The 21-year-old said: “I have learnt a lot from the Hungarian Open and I was able to watch so many top players with their different styles. I also had the privileged to practice with Aruna Quadri during the tournament. The most important lesson I learnt is that I can be whatever I want to be if I don’t give up on myself. All I need is more hard work and to remain a focus for me to reach my goals.”

    Having won his two group matches, Olajide Omotayo said: “Hungarian Open was very unique as some top players featured in the competition but my cherish moment was watching Aruna Quadri. I noticed that he plays with quality each time and he hit the ball hard as he can and this is what I have really picked up from him.

    He described the atmosphere in Budapest as tensed. My first match was a little difficult because the feeling and atmosphere were so different from other tournaments, which have taken part in. I was lading 2-0 with my opponent levelling up at 2-2. I had the advantage of winning because I was the one serving last but at the same time, I was lucky. I must admit that this victory meant a lot to me because I won against someone who is ranked 245 in the world and this really gives me joy. I know that when the new ranking list is released next month, my ranking will get better with the victory.”

    He is hoping to feature at the Luxembourg, Slovenia and Czech Opens, while adding that, “Some of the mistakes I need to correct are my receiving, service as well as other technical aspects of my game. Having watched and played against some of the top players, I think my game will be different during the next tournaments.”

    He added: “I am eagerly looking forward to my next tournament and this is going to be another test for me and I hope to play very hard and give my 100 percent.

  • ITF World Junior Ranking: Quadre is highest ranked Nigerian

    ITF World Junior Ranking: Quadre is highest ranked Nigerian

    In September 2016, Oyinlomo Quadre was nowhere in the world ranking not to talk of African rating, but this week, she has become the highest ranked Nigerian junior tennis player listed among the top 400 in the world. She is now ranked 371 in the latest ranking released by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

    Also, the 13-year-old is considered the sixth rated U-14 female player in Africa while her profile continued to soar as she braced up to return to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) High-Performance Centre n Morocco.

    Quadre amassed 125 points to be ranked 371 in the world ranking of junior female players being the highest any Nigerian has achieved in recent times.

    According to national junior coach, Mohammed Ubale, the performance of Quadre has continued to bring honour to the country, as the youngster was able to retain her title in the U-14 event at the just concluded African Junior Championships (AJC) qualifiers held in Lome, Togo.

    “I am so excited about the feat achieved by Oyinlomo Quadre because she has been consistent since she started competing at international level. She hopes to return to the ITF High-Performance Centre in Morocco next month and this was facilitated by the immense support of the President, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), Engr. Sani Ndanusa who agreed to offset more than 60percent of the fund she needed to return to the centre while her family raised the remaining 40percent,” he said.

    Ubale who led the 13-man team to the AJC qualifiers in Togo, believes the technical and tactical ability of Quadre have continued to give him an edge in most of the competitions.

    “I must admit that she is a special player with rare talent. This kind of success recorded will surely inspire more players to aim high. In any world tennis ranking, this is the best Nigeria ever achieved at any level in recent times. I must commend the NTF for their efforts at ensuring that our junior players are exposed to world class tournaments and the ranking of Quadre is the result of the support we are getting from the federation,” he added.

  • Aruna Quadri may set new world table tennis record

    Aruna Quadri may set new world table tennis record

    Record setting Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri is inching closer to inking another feat when the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) releases the February 2017 ranking.

    In 2016, Quadri set unprecedented records after becoming the first African to qualify for the quarterfinal stage of the men’s singles of table tennis event of the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil as well as the only table tennis player from the continent to be ranked 25th in the ITTF world ranking.

    However, a new record may be in the offing for the Oyo State-born athlete in 2017 after his exceptional performance at the just concluded ITTF World Tour tagged Hungarian Open where his quarterfinal berth may have earned him some crucial ranking points that will push his ranking up the ladder when the February rating is released next week by the world table tennis ruling body.

    Seeded number nine in the men’s singles of the Hungarian Open, Quadri beat two of the world’s best from Germany and the Czech Republic to become the only African to ever made it far in the history of the Hungarian Open.

    Having started the year as world’s number 25th, Quadri’s imminent rise will be officially confirmed on February 1 with the expected new ranking for February.

    Meanwhile, the 2014 ITTF Star Player will lead his French club – Jura Morez against Villeneuve, which has French internationals Adrien Mattenet, Antoine Hachard and Stéphane Ouaiche in the elite French league on January 21.

    [blog_posts style=”m1″ share=”on” display=”tag” tag=”Aruna Quadri” count=”6″ pagination=”on” ad_count=”5″]

  • Nigeria table tennis team now competitive – Onaolapo

    Unlike in the past where players were handpicked to feature for Nigeria in major competitions, but to make the national table tennis now is as hard as a camel passing through the needle, says Portugal-based Ojo Onaolapo.

    Onaolapo who failed to make it beyond the preliminary round at the just concluded Hungarian Open in Budapest told NationSport that after being exempted from the nation team after his last outing at the 2016 World Championship in Malaysia, he hopes to work his way back into the team with hard work and discipline.

    “From the quality of players we have in Nigeria coupled with the competitiveness of the team, it is now very hard to make the team because you need to prove yourself that you are worthy to be in the team. You must also be disciplined to be part of the team which has quality and disciplined players like Segun Toriola and Aruna Quadri,” he said.

    On his early exit at Hungarian Open, he said: “But I know if I continue going to competition from time to time, I will reclaim my place back in the national team. I just have to keep going to tournaments because I now realised that tournament arena is different from the club so I need to keep going to ITTF World Tour,” he said.

    He added: “In most of the matches, I was leading only to lose. While the racket my opponents were using were not the ones I was used to. Apart from the defeat, I think I learnt a lot from taking part in the competition and it makes me believe that nothing is impossible and I got to know the latest in table tennis around the world.”

    Onaolapo could not hide his fascination for his compatriot – Aruna Quadri saying, “Seeing Aruna Quadri playing and winning against some of the top players will make people believe that Africa can do it. His performance gives me confidence that nothing is impossible in table tennis. That it is just hard work and ensure that I attend tournaments regularly. Also, I noticed that Aruna Quadri play strong short while he moves a lot on the table. He fights for every point on the table and this is a quality I must follow.”

    He hopes to feature in tournaments in Luxembourg and Slovenia before the 2017 World Championships in Germany. “I intend to play more competitions in Luxembourg and Slovenia before the World Championship. What I believe is that if I keep focusing and attending tournaments while also performing very well, I think I can be a regular in the Nigeria national team,” he said.