MANY were surprised to see a clip of the short video that provided some insights to how Lagos State Commissioner, Gbenga Omotoso, recently won the 2026 OGRA and NAZA Table Tennis Championship (Division 2) held in Ogudu, Lagos.
But for the commissioner, he was only returning to winning ways with table tennis, as he has always been a table tennis player.

Omotoso, who took an interest in table tennis at a young age, stated that the sport has always been a part of his life, revealing that part of what he has become today is due to table tennis.
He recounted the story about how Chief Guy Gargiulo, an Italian, who naturalised as a Briton was responsible for his secondary education and encouraged him to further develop his table tennis skills. The commissioner who played table tennis for Ondo State and the University of Benin (UNIBEN) explained that after graduating from the university he stopped the consistent playing of table tennis. “There was a long layoff during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). After NYSC, I started my journalism career at The Guardian. And there was no time, because we were always working from early in the afternoon up to late night. So, there was no time to play for several, several, several years,” he stated.

He added that he only picked up table tennis again about three years ago because of a friend, Adelaja Ijaodola who used to play table tennis for Lagos State when I was playing for Ondo State.
“And we once played doubles together. He was the one who encouraged me to come to Ogudu GRA Table Tennis Club. That’s how I joined the club. And I started playing there once in a while, anytime I had the time,” he stated.
Omotoso stated that he not only took part in table tennis, but also took part in swimming and golf, revealing that he swam for Ondo State and University of Benin. He said that he had been trying to rediscover himself all this while. Speaking on his journey of rediscovery and the role the table tennis competition has played in it, he said that he is happy, adding that winning in table tennis is part of a routine.

He said that he had won some competitions in the past and had also lost too.
He said that he had been trying to rediscover himself all this while. “But this time around, there was the competition sponsored by one of the members of the club in ogudu and I decided to participate as a division 2 player. Most of our very strong hands play in the first divison. What you saw in the video was the final and in actual fact, the final point.”
Speaking on his journey of rediscovery, he said that he is happy, adding that winning in table tennis is part of a routine. He said that he had won some competitions in the past and had also lost several times.
“So, what I do is that all the things I have been able to do in sports, I have been able to translate them into how life has been treating me and my associates. We have seen so many things in life. You win some, you lose some,” he said.

Omotosho explained the impact that sport has had on his mentality, adding that he does not cry over anything because he has experienced the joy of winning and the pain of losing. “So all of the things that I see nowadays, the kind of confidence I have in doing things, I got them from sports. The kind of faith that I have in my ability to do things, I got from sports.

The advice that I give people, the things that I do, most of them are things that I learnt from sports. The strategy, the thinking, and then the planning, as well as the physical fitness too. All of these things that I got from sports,” said the commissioner.
Speaking on juggling his role as a commissioner with sporting activities, he stated that a person who is not fit can not do his job or work with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. “We work long hours. If you are not fit, you cannot do that. We go on inspection with Mr Governor,” he said.

He spoke about how the governor is also committed to fitness, stating that a person who is not fit cannot match his pace. “If you are not fit, you will break down. Here is a man who works 24 hours. Here is a man who likes walking, who likes going on inspection at any point in time, whether it’s Sunday or Saturday, he doesn’t care. So if you are not fit, it will be very difficult to match his pace. I once had the opportunity of seeing Mr Governor in a gym. I couldn’t believe it,” he stated.