Following the recent dethronement of national champion Matthew Kuti, Nigerian table tennis stars’ battle of supremacy has shifted to the 10th Elicris Table Tennis Cup with the final matches taking place on Tuesday (today), at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Organised by the Lagos State Table Tennis Association and sponsored by the Babatunde Abayomi Adejobi Foundation, the two-day tournament aims to discover new talents and empower the less privileged in society.
The recent second Daniel Ford Championships saw Kuti defeated by Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, signalling that more players are eyeing the coveted prize.
Kuti’s narrow 4-3 loss to Kwara State-born Abdulfatai has set the stage for an exciting finale, where the best 32 players in men’s and women’s singles will vie for the prize money.
The 2024 African Men’s doubles champion, Muiz Adegoke, who was edged out in the preliminary round of the Daniel Ford tournament, is eager to bounce back.
“I am yet to get over what happened to me last week at the Daniel Ford tournament. I am excited that we have the opportunity to play another tournament, which I hope to use to reclaim my status in the country. There is no doubt that it is going to be tougher because the quality of play continues to be high, and I hope I can come through against other top stars,” he said.
Babatunde Adejobi, the founder of the BAA Foundation, emphasised that the event was designed to assist the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation in identifying talents and engaging players ahead of major competitions.
LSTTA Chairman, Tunji Lawal, praised the foundation for its consistent support.
“We are thrilled that the sponsors have decided to expand the tournament and aim to make it national. This is a positive development for the sport in Lagos and Nigeria, providing more opportunities for national handlers to identify talents and keep players in shape, especially for the upcoming National Sports Festival in Ogun State. We are grateful to the sponsors and look forward to an exciting tournament this year,” Lawal added.
