NAN-S-5
T/Tennis (Wrap-up)
By Kemi Ajayi and Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, Aug. 15, 2017(NAN) The hopes and expectations of many Nigeria table tennis fans were dashed at the just-concluded 2017 Seamaster International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Nigeria Open as the country’s representatives failed to excel at the event.
Table Tennis equipment
No Nigerian player got to the semi-final stage of the men’s and women’s singles of the tournament unlike in the 2015 edition when Aruna Quadri got to the final of the championships.
The five-day event, which attracted players from 22 countries served-off on Aug. 9 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, was dominated by Egypt.
A total of 99 men and 55 women competed in the keenly contested battles for the 46,000 dollars prize money at stake.
Fans trouped in daily to enjoy the best that international table tennis could offer on the platform of the ITTF circuit which received wide publicity on radio and television.
Tickets for the competition were quite affordable for the fans, and sold for N100 and N300 respectively, while the competition was adjudged as well organised.
Fans at the venue applauded the organisers for making the tickets affordable for spectators
Egypt’s Assar Omar and Meshref Dina were eventually crowned the winners of the men and women’s singles events, while France and Hungary won the men and women’s doubles of the challenge.
Omar, who missed out in the 2016 edition due to club engagement, reclaimed the title for the third time in a convincing way by outplaying his Indian opponent, Sarthak Gandhi in four straight sets.
Omar and Nigeria’s Quadri rivalry which had always been the focal point of the competition did not materialise because Quadri was ousted by compatriot, Bode Abiodun in the round of 16.
Twenty-six-year-old Omar, who was the No. 2 seeded player of the tournament, said it was always fun to play in Lagos because of his massive fan base.
“This competition is very special for me because it’s being staged in Lagos.
“Over the years, I have been able to build a fans base and their support means a lot to me whenever I am playing here,’’ he added.
Also, Quadri who was not deterred by his early exit from the championships, told NAN that the competition was not about winning alone but its impact on players was vital.
Quadri, who got to the quarter-final stage of the 2016 Rio Olympics, the first African to achieve such a feat, said that home-based players were able to compete and garner experience.
“Before the competition, I had said that winning alone was not the only reason why I am participating in the competition, it’s to improve myself.
“I’m happy that most of our home-based players who didn’t have the opportunity to compete in international tournaments were availed the opportunity to be part of the competition,’’ he said.
In the U-21 category, No. 4 seed Egypt’s Youssef Abdel-Aziz overcame Portugal’s No. 3 seeded Jose Pedro-Francisco in the final of the U-21 men’s singles in three straight sets.
Italian Giorgia Piccolin narrowly defeated Hungary’s Bernadett Balint 3-0 to emerge winner in the U-21 women’s singles.
The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, who was at the venue for the finals, said that the government needed to spend more on sports development in the country.
“For Nigeria to excel in a competition of this magnitude, the government has to increase its spending to train coaches and athletes, to enhance sports technically,’’ he said.
Ambode added that plans would be made to increase the prize money for the 2018 edition, as well as attract more countries from the globe to Lagos, which is fast becoming a sport hub in Africa.
“We are going to scale up the prize money for the next edition to attract more participants as Lagos is the destination for sports in Africa.
“We will ensure that the competition keeps growing every year and by so doing, Lagos will be a tourist attraction for people all over the world through sports.
“We will increase the prize money in the next edition and the competition will keep getting bigger yearly,’’ the governor said.
Also, Ishaku Tikom, President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), said the competition which has come to stay has enhanced the country’s profile in the sport.
Tikom said that the federation would work judiciously to ensure that the country’s athletes would perform better in the next edition.
“This competition has put the country in the world table tennis realm and I am glad our athletes are growing through such a competition.
“The federation will continue to do the needful to enhance our athletes’ and coaches technically in the sport,’’ he said.
A fan, Mutiu Atolagbe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the country has talented players who lacked the technical input needed to execute a match against their foreign counterparts.
“The only difference between our players and their foreign counterparts is just technicality which most of our players still lack.
“So, the coaches or the technical department should do more to ensure that our home-based players are at par with their foreign counterparts.
“If not, we will just be hosting and the foreigners will keep carting the money away,’’ he said.
Ondo State’s Omeh Amadi, who participated in the U-21 category, told NAN that the use of substandard bats affected his chances in the competition.
“The bat I used for the competition was not a standard one compared to what the foreigners used and it affected me a lot.
“I can’t afford a standard racket because it is expensive, likewise other young players like me, so we always make do with used bats to play,’’ he said.
Another Nigerian player, Tosin Oribamise, said that she was not in form due to health challenge before the competition which affected her performance.
Oribamise promised to redouble her effort in the next edition while urging the NTTF to roll out more competitions that would keep athletes engaged ahead of major tournaments.
With the below par performance of Nigerian athletes in the 2017 edition, fans would expect the players rise to the occasion by hosting and winning the Seamaster ITTF Challenge come 2018. (NAN)
KOA/MIL/ERO/PDE
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Peter Ejiofor)