Defending champions Jamiu Ayanwale and Sukurat Aiyelabegan are ready to begin their title defense as the fifth edition of the National Table Tennis Championships kicks off today (Monday) in Otan Ayegbaju, Osun State.
Ayanwale, representing Rivers State, was the standout player in the 2024 edition, claiming the men’s singles title with an impressive victory over Oyo State’s Wasiu Azeez in the final. His dominant performance throughout the competition made him a player to watch, and he is once again expected to be the man to beat this year.
In the women’s singles, Kwara’s Aiyelabegan shocked the competition last year with a remarkable performance, including a dominant 4-0 win against Lagos State’s top seed Bose Odusanya in the final. This year, she will face strong competition in Osun, with Odusanya, Aminat Fashola, and Bisola Asaju all set to challenge for the crown.
The men’s singles will also be highly competitive, with Ayanwale facing significant challenges from players such as Omah Amadi, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, and Akinwale Fagbamila, among others.
Over 50 teams from across Nigeria, including representatives from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Taraba, Nasarawa, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Katsina, Niger, Zamfara, and host state Osun, will compete in the five-day championship. Clubs like Aruna Sports Club, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigeria Police Force are also participating.
All matches will be held at the newly built Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial Table Tennis Hall, with a total prize pool of N11.5 million on offer.
Running from April 28 to May 2, the tournament will feature a packed schedule, including men’s singles, women’s singles, U-15 boys’ and girls’ singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, veteran singles, para men’s singles open, para women’s singles open, deaf men’s singles, deaf women’s singles, and local singles events.
