The race for medals in the table tennis event of the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024, kicks off on Saturday, May 24, at the Alake Sports Centre in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

As one of the marquee events of Nigeria’s version of the Olympic Games, table tennis has drawn a large turnout of teams from across the country. Notably, foreign-based stars such as Olajide Omotayo, Azeez Solanke, and Taiwo Matti will be representing Bayelsa State, adding international flair to the competition.

Lagos State will be led by national champion Matthew Kuti and Muiz Adegoke, while strong contenders from Kwara, Ondo, Oyo, and Delta are also expected to make their mark.

According to an official from the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), the event was slightly delayed to allow the conclusion of the badminton competition, which shares the same venue.

“We’re expecting a more competitive tournament this year, with increased participation from teams that haven’t featured in recent editions. Some players are fresh from the ITTF World Championships in Doha, so fans should expect fireworks in the team, doubles, and singles events,” the official said.

Omotayo, currently Nigeria’s second-highest-ranked player globally, will face stiff competition from top home-based talents like Kuti, Adegoke, and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai. Kuti, one of the most consistent players on the national circuit, has dominated recent tournaments and is eyeing his first National Sports Festival title. Abdulfatai, fresh off a national tournament win in Osun, is also a strong contender in both singles and doubles.

Oyo State, under the guidance of Coach Dotun Omoniyi, will not be overlooked. The team features seasoned players like Akinwale Fagbamila and Joshua Olaniran, who bring experience and resilience to the Sunshine State’s campaign.

In the para table tennis event, all eyes will be on homeboy and Paris Paralympics bronze medalist, Isau Ogunkunle, who will be aiming to affirm his dominance in the Men’s Class 4 of the singles event, while Faith Obazuaye, a Commonwealth Games medalist will lead the Edo State contingent in the Women’s category.

From May 24 to 28, all eyes will be on the Alake Sports Centre as the table tennis event promises to unearth new stars and deliver thrilling action at this year’s multi-sport festival.

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Nigeria has marked a significant milestone at the 2025 ITTF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, by clinching its first win in the Mixed Doubles event.

The dynamic duo of Olajide Omotayo and Rabiat Ayoola staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Egypt’s Mahmoud Helmy and Fathy Hend 3-2 in the Round of 64.

The prestigious tournament, which commenced on Saturday, May 17, features over 300 athletes from more than 70 member associations competing across five individual events: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.

The competition will span nine days in the vibrant city of Doha.

Despite a shaky start, losing the first two sets 9-11 and 7-11, Omotayo and Ayoola displayed remarkable resilience.

They rallied back to take the next three sets 11-6, 12-10, and 11-7, sealing a hard-fought 3-2 victory and advancing to the second round of the Mixed Doubles category.

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Kwara’s Abdulbasit Abdulfatai and Cross River’s Hope Udoaka emerged as champions at the 5th Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial National Table Tennis Championships, held in the historic town of Otan Ayegbaju, Osun State.

With the defending champions exiting in the quarterfinals, Abdulfatai had a smooth ride to the final, where he mesmerised giant-killer Matthew Fabunmi with a 4-0 victory (12-10, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7) to lift the Men’s Singles title.

In the Women’s Singles final, Udoaka dominated the encounter, defeating veteran Halima Hussain of Oyo 4-1 (11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7) to be crowned the new champion.

In the U-15 categories, Ifeoluwa Ajasa of Lagos triumphed over Deborah Faleye of Edo 3-1 (11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7) to win the girls’ title, while Marvelous Joseph of Kogi overcame Umar Ayoola of Osun 3-1 (11-9, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8) to become the boys’ champion.

Tournament referee John Peter described this year’s event as unique, blending table tennis with entertainment, as participants enjoyed performances by various artists each day.

“The 5th edition of the Michael and Felicia Alabi Table Tennis Festival was a combination of play and fun.

“The standard of play kept rising from stage to stage, culminating in the ousting of the defending champions in both the Men’s and Women’s Singles at the quarterfinal stage.

“New champions emerged in most of the 15 events, and a new dimension was added to the organisation, with university students volunteering and assisting in all areas,” Peter said.

The grand finale of the five-day tournament was graced by the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, accompanied by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, and the royal father of Otan Ayegbaju, HRM Ọba Adesola Ojo Fadipe, among other notable personalities.

The N11.5m prize money was sanctioned by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and organised by the Osun State Table Tennis Association.

The event attracted players from various states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Taraba, Nasarawa, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Katsina, Niger, Zamfara, and the host state, Osun.

 Clubs such as Aruna Sports Club, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigeria Police Force also featured at the national ranking championships.

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