For emerging champion at the 2018 National Sports Festival, Ajoke Ojomu has been rewarded for her feat with a place in the seven-man team named by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) for the 2019 World Championship holding in Budapest, Hungary.
The 20-year-old Abuja-based star will be making her debut at the senior level in Budapest and she will join experienced stars – Olufunke Oshonaike and Spain-based Edem Offiong to compete in the women’s singles event of the tournament.
According to the Secretary General of NTTF, James Eakyns, the selection of Ajoke Ojomu was based on her performance at the 2018 National Sports Festival held in Abuja. The scribe said that she was unbeaten in all her matches to emerge as the new Nigeria national champion.
“We are excited that we are now having players that are coming through. Olajide Omotayo who made his debut at the 2018 ITTF African Championship in Mauritius and made it to the semifinal stage and this has given us hope that our players are capable of playing at big stage. We are also hopeful that the inclusion of Ajoke Ojomu will afford her the necessary experience to rub shoulders with the best in the world. We hope she can also learn from experienced players in the team,” the NTTF scribe said.
23-year-old Olajide Omotayo will be making his second appearance at the global tournament after he worked his way to the knockout stage at the 2017 edition in Dusseldorf. The 2018 African Championship semifinalist is hoping for another good outing in Budapest.
Other members of the men’s team for Nigeria include African Champion – Aruna Quadri, Bode Abiodun and seven-time Olympian Segun Toriola.
The tournament would help the players to amass individual points for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games while it will help the team to get good seeding for the 2019 African Games in Morocco.
