Femi Solaja
The 55th edition of Nigeria’s oldest sports competition, Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Cup began yesterday with preliminary rounds as top seeds hit the knockout stage in the men’s and women’s singles of the championships taking place at Teslim Balogun Stadium
Top seeds, Muiz Adegoke and Bose Odusanya began their title defence with easy rides to the knockout stage. At the same time, former champions Rilwan Akanbi and David Fayele also progressed to the crucial stage of the competition.
For this year’s tournament, eight events – men’s and women’s singles and doubles as well as para class 1-5 (men and women) and para class 6-10 (men and women) will be competed for at the three-day tournament which serves as trials for the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA) to select their team for the 2024 National Sports Festival.
However, Akanbi who won the tournament in 2021 but a finalist in 2022 is eager to wrestle the title from Adegoke.
“I know that everybody is eyeing the title this year being a milestone event and I want to reclaim the title I surrendered two years ago. Undoubtedly, all other players are looking up to us but I am ready to become champion again. Having competed at the 3rd Quadri Aruna tournament and making it to the final in the men’s singles where I narrowly lost the title to Amadi Umeh, it is clear that I am one of the favorites for the title and I am looking forward to competing in the final come Wednesday December 20,” Akanbi vowed.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of LSTTA, Tunji Lawal, has hailed the family of the late Molade Okoya-Thomas for deeming it fit to stage the tournament this year amidst the economic challenges ravaging the whole world and Nigeria.
“I am happy that we have another chance to test the abilities of our players through this tournament and this is a preparatory competition for next year’s quarterly league that the association will organise. There is no doubt that some players are coming through the ranks and we hope we can identify more young players from this kind of competition,” Lawal said.
55th Molade Okoya-Thomas Cup Enters Knockout Stage
