ITTF heaps praises on Nigeria Open

Tobi Adesina

For successfully staging the fourth edition of an ITTF Challenge Series, the international Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has applauded the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2017 Nigeria Open with a pledge to award more world title events to Nigeria.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ITTF, Steve Dainton, aside the quality of players, the quality of organization has continued to improve annually.

“Ensuring events in all corners of the globe is extremely important for the ITTF. As the only annual ITTF event in Africa for professional players, it is extremely important for the ITTF to continue to support the Nigeria Open. Once again we are very pleased with the turnout of players which has now grown coupled with the event organisation and most importantly the fantastic local vibe that the tournament brings to table tennis and the ITTF. It shows us that we can bring more events to Nigeria and in the near future perhaps we can even bring one of the top World title events to the country,” Dainton said.

Like Dainton, Michael Brown who is ITTF Oceania and Africa Development Coordinator, described this year’s Nigeria Open as a good advertisement of table tennis in Africa.

“The Nigeria Open continues to improve in terms of organisation, this is now the fifth year in which the event has been part of the ITTF World Tour/ITTF Challenge, and with each year an improvement is made on how certain elements of the tournament are organised. As the tournament was able to attract a number of athletes from various European and Asian countries, the tournament had a stronger global following than in previous years,” Brown said.

He added: “The ITTF supports all tournaments which are part of the ITTF World Tour or ITTF Challenge. The Nigeria Open is a key event within these two products, as it is the only event within the African continent. Moving forward ITTF will be looking at further ways it can support such events to ensure a global reach is achieved. However it does take a strong Local Organising Committee (LOC) to be able to host a successful event, which has been evident in Nigeria over the past five years, and can hopefully continue moving forward. It would be exciting to see similar events in countries such as Ghana, South Africa and Kenya as well.”

On areas to improve in next edition, Brown said: “To further increase the global reach of the event, efforts could be made to attract athletes from East Asia (China, Japan and Korea), as well as the USA. These are key markets for table tennis, and could assist in further growing the brand of the Nigeria Open, which in turn will assist in attracting more sponsors.”

I am indebted to Lagos fans – Omar Assar

Tobi Adesina

 

For the support he has always enjoyed whenever he is playing in Lagos, Egypt’s Omar Assar believes the fans played a crucial role in his triumph at the ITTF Nigeria Open ‘Lagos 2017’.

The Egyptian who made history as the first player to win the men’s singles title thrice as well as unbeaten in all his participation in the tournament is willing to return to Lagos for the competition.

To claim the title in 2017, Assar beat India’s Sarthak Gandhi in the final 4-0 (11-6, 13-11, 11-6, 11-8). With the win, Assar maintains his perfect record in Lagos, having now won the tournament on each occasion he has played.

“I feel very wonderful wining this competition again. This competition is very special for me because it being hosted in Lagos. The fans in Lagos have been very supportive in me claiming the title. So I need to ensure I play very well because many people are waiting to see me winning the title. From the start of the tournament, there have been a lot of improvements among the Nigerians and Egyptians, while I am particularly thrilled with the performance of the Indians,” said Omar Assar.

Assar, who is Aruna Quadri’s partner in men’s doubles, believes the Nigerian would return stronger following his round of 16 exit. “Aruna Quadri and others played really well. But I am always proud whenever I and Aruna Quadri play in the final of any major event because it helps to promote the sport in Africa. Aruna Quadri is a very good player and I am sure next he will make a comeback and have better competition next time,” he said.

Dina Meshref made sure Egypt doubled down on the titles, defeating Russia’s Olga Kulikova in the final of the Women’s Singles. It was a 4-0 (11-4, 16-14, 12-10, 11-6) victory for Meshref, who dropped only two games during the event. It was the Egyptian’s third attempt at the title, and it turned out to be third time’s lucky, having made the quarterfinal in 2014, and final in 2015.

As Africa’s number one player, she kept continental pride and made sure the title stayed on home soil for the first time in the event’s history.

Top Guns ignites Nigeria Open

Tobi Adesina

They were considered title contenders and this they showed in the first round of the singles event of the ITTF Challenge Nigeria Open ‘Lagos 2017’.

From local hero – Aruna Quadri to former champions, Egypt’s Omar Assar; Finland’s Benedek Olah as well as 2009 mixed doubles world champion, Qatar’s Li Ping, emphatic victories were recorded just as debutant – South Africa’s Kurt Lingeveldt worked his way into the round of 32 after an epic 4-3 win over Nigeria’s Bode Kayode.

Kurt Lingeveldt, who was featuring in his maiden ITTF Challenge, was particularly excited by the huge support from the fans.

“This is my first ITTF Challenge and it has been exciting and unbelievable for me with the huge support from the crowd coupled with the presence of top players. I was so nervous in the match and I was trying to be careful and make sure i put the ball on the corner. I was also hoping not to make the match easy for my opponent. I am happy making it to the second round because my goal initially was to qualify from the group and now I am in the round of 32. Now I am setting last 16 target for myself now,” said Kurt Lingeveldt.

Also, India’s Sanil Shetty, Scotland’s Gavin Rumgay while Egypt’s trio of Ahmed Saleh, Mohamed El-Beiali and Khaled Assar also sailed through to the second round.

However, some players suffered surprising defeats as former Commonwealth champion, Monday Meroothun was bundled out by France’s Jean Gregoire. The French star beat Merotohun 4-0 while toast of Lagos, Olajide Omotayo was eliminated by Russia’s Vasilij Filatov. Despite taking a lead twice in the game, Omotayo failed to capitalise on this to lose 4-3 to the Russian.

On Saturday August 12, the battle for supremacy in the singles and doubles event continue as the top seeds and others take to the table for the second round matches of the singles.

ITTF Nigeria Open: I wish more Nigerians can play more in South Africa - S.A Legend, Danisha Patel

Tobi Adesina

The ITTF Challenge Nigeria Open has lived up to expectations as the fans were treated to exciting matches in the preliminary round of the singles events.

The 1200 capacity venue was half filled as the players gave the spectators to cheer from the start to the end of the day one.

Apart from the scintillating performance from the participants, the return of the former Nigerian internationals – Monday Merotohun and Kazeem Nosiru added glamour to the competitions.

Even the foreigners were not left out of the excitement as South Africa’s Danisha Patel believes the quality of play confirmed why Nigeria remains among the best in the world.

An excited Patel said being her first time in Nigeria as she was amazed with the excitement and support that the presence of the fans added to the competition on the first day.

“I am surprised with the kind of support the fans have been giving the players particularly the number of them present at the venue. I was surprised that we could have that kind of number of people coming to the venue on the first day. They support good table tennis and they really understand the game. It is my first time in Nigeria and I am excited that the environment was very conducive for the players. I wish more Nigerians can play more in South Africa, as this will really boost the standard of the game in South Africa” she said.

On Thursday August 10, the fight for places in the main draw of the singles event enter final round as the qualifiers that will compete against the seeded players will know their fate.

2017 ITTF Nigeria Open: Cecilia Akpan ready to stop foreigners’ dominance

Tobi Adesina

With two days to the commencement of this year ITTF Nigeria Open "Lagos 2017", 31-year-old mother of one Cecilia Akpan is ready to lead the halting of foreigners’ dominance at the Africa elite tournament holding at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

Akpan who is a member of the Nigeria national team said she is fully ready to battle against the foreigners in Lagos.

“For me this is another chance for us to prove that we can still rub shoulders with the world’s best. The quality of the players this year is no doubt exceptional and in the history of the competition, this is the best assembly of players we have ever had. So it is time for us Nigerian players not to allow the visitors to come and cart away all the prize money and medals. We will surely hold them in all the events,” she said.

“After returning from Morocco, I have not missed any training because I know I must be at my best if I am hoping to contest with the foreigners in the competition. Things are working well for me and I am in top form and eager to commence campaign from the preliminary which starts on August 9. "I want to take each game as they come hoping that I will make it to the main draw where anything can happen.”

Akpan, who was unbeaten during the ITTF African Club Championships in Morocco, recently lauded the organizers of the championships for attracting quality players to the competition annually as well as putting Nigeria in the world map of table tennis.