Monthly Archives: December 2019

There are strong indications that the just concluded Valuejet Para Table Tennis (PTT) Open may be listed on the ITTF event calendar in 2020.

Impressed with the organisation coupled with the standard of play at the maiden edition of the tournament held at Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The ITTF Nomination Committee Chairman and President, ITTF Africa, (Western Region), Wahid Oshodi disclosed there are efforts to convince the world table tennis ruling body to ensure that Nigeria joins the list of countries hosting a major PTT tournament across the globe.

Oshodi, who is the LOC Chairman of Africa’s elite table tennis tournament – Nigeria Open, believes that with the support of Valuejet coupled with the experienced personnel in the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), the tournament may be considered for next year.

Like Oshodi, the President of Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy, who was in Lagos for the three-day tournament said the continent body is convinced that Nigeria has the wherewithal to stage a befitting international tournament having witnessed what happened last week in Lagos.

“The Valuejet PTT Open will open doors for Para Athletes in Nigeria and in Africa to have a special event with top professional organization, media coverage and good prize money similar to other world events.

“ATTF had already opened the link with ITTF to get this tournament listed on the ITTF Calendar for 2020 after checking that all professional standard has been met. We are convinced that Nigeria has big experience in sports and specially table tennis as well. I believe it is this that attract sponsors to their events. I will like to use this opportunity to thank the management Valuejet on behalf of ATTF Executive Committee for their efforts to support NTTF and our table tennis family in Africa through the sponsoring of the tournament,” the ATTF boss said.

The Egyptian was however impressed with the turnout of teams across Africa which he said would motivate top class players to attend the tournament in near future.

“With what I saw in Lagos that top PTT African players with the large turnout of Nigerian players and high standard of play, I am sure it will start attracting many top players worldwide as soon as it is listed on ITTF calendar, hopefully next yeear,” El-Salhy added.

Tokyo 2020 bound Paralympians and Sydney 2000 gold medalists- Tajudeen Agunbiade and Olufemi Alabi were the star players for Team Nigeria in the final of the men’s class 9 & 10 at the maiden Valuejet Para Table Tennis Open which ended at the weekend in Lagos.

The three-day tournament attracted players from host – Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire with 44 titles at stake at the N10.8m prize money tournament.

In the final of the men’s final, it was Agunbiade partnership with Olufemi Alabi that ensured that Nigeria claimed most of the titles at the expense of Algeria and South Africa, with Theo Cogil of South Africa and Karim Bounedouha of Algeria.

But it was Agunbiade and Alabi’s excellent display that paved way for Nigeria to win the encounter at 2-0.

The tie described as the most colorful match of the competition witnessed beautiful strokes and shots from the players with Agunbiade accuracy and conciseness on table giving Nigeria at edge.

The doubles tie ended 7-11, 11-1, 11-9, 11-7 in favor of the duo of Agunbiade and Alabi.

In the singles tie involving Agunbiade and Bounedouha, the display by the players received applause from the fans but it was the Nigerian that laughed last with 11-8, 16-18, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 (3-2) to give Nigeria a 2-0 win.

In the singles class 9 and 10, Agunbiade and Alabi claimed the titles to add to their medals at the tournament.

An excited Agunbiade described the victory as energy-sapping. “It was very tough match but me and my teammates are very happy to win the team event. I just want to use this opportunity to thank the sponsor, Valuejet for giving us this platform and urge other corporate organizations to support Para Table Tennis and expose us to more international tournaments to enable us to get to meet new players,” the 2000 Sydney Paralympic gold medalist said.

For the chairman of Valuejet, Kunle Soname, the tournament has come to stay. “The table tennis tournament will be bigger than this next year. You can see a lot players around and this has been a huge success for the fact that this is the first time an event like this is holding in Nigeria and I got a whisper from the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) that the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has written to make this an annual event in their calendar. For me, nothing can be more exciting than this,” Soname added.

The tournament was put together by Sunday Odebode Foundation in collaboration with NTTF while it was bankrolled by Valuejet Airline.

The much-anticipated Valuejet Para Table Tennis Open serves off on Thursday December 19 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos with hundreds of players aiming to share from the N10.8m purse.

Already, apart from Nigeria, eight African countries are in Lagos for the three-day tournament which ends on Saturday December 21.

Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana will compete in the 44 events tournament for players in class 1 to 10. The hundreds of players will compete in singles, team and doubles events.

For Rio Paralympian, Ahmed Koleosho, the tournament would provide the players the platform to compete against their foreign counterparts, particularly the local players who are yet to compete at higher level of the game. “I am so excited that we are hosting this kind of competition and I am hoping and believing that we will make Nigeria proud. It will surely give upcoming players the opportunity to compete against their experienced counterparts,” the Tokyo 2020-bound paralympian said.

For the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Ishaku Tikon, staging the tournament would help players that had already qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games to tune up for the sports fiesta in Japan come next year.

“This is a good development for table tennis in Nigeria and we are grateful to our sponsor – Valuejet for deeming it fit to support the championship. We are excited and we can wait for the tournament to kick off as our aim is to make it a ranking event by 2020 on the ITTF calendar. This is another first from NTTF and we hope our players and visitors will enjoy the warmth of Lagos and Nigeria during the competition,” the NTTF boss said.

According to the project consultant, Sunday Odebode, the aim of the tournament was to expose the players to world class tournament particularly as they are expected to compete against some of the best players in Africa.

“We want to use this competition to develop para table tennis in Nigeria while also promoting the talents of the players. We believe this tournament will enhance the sport as well as give us leverage to stage and be listed among the ITTF tournament in near future. Our players will also be exposed to competition among themselves and other players coming to Nigeria for the championship,” Odebode said.

Before the kick off of the tournament on Thursday December 19, from December 16 to 18, an ITTF classifier, Elsayed Mehrem has been in Lagos to classify some of the Nigerian players to their various classes

ITTF hails Nigeria over Vaulejet Para Table Tennis Open

for muting the initiative to stage the maiden maiden Valuejet Para Table Tennis Open, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has hailed Nigeria while hoping that other African countries would take a cue from this.

According to ITTF Classifier, El-Sayed Mehrem, the idea of hosting the international tournament is commendable as few countries in Africa has been able to stage a successful tournament.

“I am impressed with what I have seen so far in Nigeria particularly the hospitality of the people. I believe Nigeria has the potential to rule the world in para table tennis considering its rising profile in Africa. I must congratulate Nigeria and the organisers for making this a reality because I have been impressed with the organisation so far and i hope this tournament has come to stay. we hope and believe it can make it to the calendar of ITTF in years to come,” the Egyptian expert said.

For the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), the tournament is another efforts by the board to make the federation an all encompass for all athletes.

The President of NTTF, Ishaku Tikon who was represented by the Head of Para Section of the federation, Elderson Bankole, the idea of the tournament was to ensure that the para players tune up before the Tokyo 2020 as four of them had already qualified for the games in Japan.

“We want to ensure that our athletes shape up for Tokyo 2020 and particularly the classification of the athletes which would help to throw up new players. we also thank our sponsors for identifying with the federation and supporting the tournament. we hope they will remain with us and others will join them in future,” the NTTF boss said.

In his remarks, the Secretary General of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Olabanji Oladapo, the para table tennis players have been pride to Nigeria in several tournaments and with the tournament, more players hope to come through in near future.

he however, pledged the NOC support to para table tennis while hoping that the tournament would put the Tokyo-bound players in good shape.

For the Head of Business and Programme, Valuejet, Temitope Ajibola, the company would continue to support sports, while pledging their unalloyed support to para table tennis.

The tournament serves off on Thursday December 19, at Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

44 titles will be competed in class 1 to 10 in singles and teams event for men and women, while N10.8m will be the total prize money with the top three in each event getting cash rewards for their efforts.

Rio 2016 Paralympian and internet sensation, Ibrahim Hamato will be part of the Egyptian team coming to Nigeria for the maiden Valuejet Para Table Tennis Open holding on December 19 to 21 in Lagos.

Hamato, 44 is an Egyptian Para table tennis Champion, winning several honours over the years, including the silver medals in the African Para table tennis Championships in 2011 and 2013.

Hamato lost both his arms as the result of a train accident when he was 10 that in an interview with CNN the Egyptian said “In our village, we could only play, at that time, table tennis and soccer that’s why I played both. It was logic to play soccer first due to my case; then I played table tennis as a challenge.

Hamato has also won an appreciation award under 6th Edition of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award for the category of athlete who achieved success in sports despite major humanitarian challenges after earning second place and winning the silver medal during the African Para table tennis Championships in December 2013.

According to the project consultant, Sunday Odebode, the presence of Egyptian team who are one of the top playing nations in Africa would add glamour to the tournament holding at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

“We are excited to have Hamato in Lagos because he has been an inspiration to a lot of people across the world and we believe his presence in Lagos would again inspire special athletes to aim high despite their challenges. It promises to be exciting and we cannot wait to have some of the top teams already confirmed for the championship in Lagos. Preparation is ongoing to ensure a hitch-free tournament and we believe hosting this kind of the competition will put Nigeria on the world map and give our players the chance to test might with some of the best in Africa in readiness for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Japan,” Odebode said.

Over N10.8m ($30,000) will be at stake as players compete in 44 titles in singles and team events.

Source : ATTF