Paralympians take centrestage as table tennis tourney begins in Lagos

Paralympians, Isau Ogunkunle and Faith Obazuaye, top the list of participants at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championship, which kicks off today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

Regarded as the longest-running table tennis tournament in Africa, having started in 1968, the tournament will, for the first time, be played as a national championship.

Players from 21 states and 67 clubs will compete for honours in 13 events .
Africa’s sole medalist at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Ogunkunle, will lead the Ogun State contingent to the six-day tournament as he aims to become the first player in class 1 to 5 to win the Men’s Singles title.

Additionally, two-time Paralympian and Commonwealth Games medalist, Obazuaye, will travel from Benin City, Edo State, to compete in what promises to be a gathering of the best in the Women’s Class 6 to 10 para event.

More than 350 players from across the country are in Lagos to compete for the improved prize purse at stake. Looking forward to a challenging championship, a confident Ogunkunle said that opening up the tournament to players from outside Lagos will allow para players to test their skills against one another.

He expressed optimism about his chances of claiming the national title, adding: “We have a lot of players already confirmed for the tournament, and this is a good development for us as para players, as the best players in the country are in Lagos.

“I must commend the family of Okoya-Thomas for opening up the tournament for us. This is another platform for us to showcase our talents and assess ourselves as players.”