Paralympians headline 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Championship

Tosin Oluwalowo
2 Min Read

Paralympians Isau Ogunkunle and Faith Obazuaye will lead the charge as the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championship begins Monday in Lagos.

The tournament, Africa’s longest-running table tennis competition since its inception in 1968, will be played nationally for the first time. Players from 21 states and 67 clubs will compete in 13 events over six days.

Ogunkunle, Africa’s only table tennis medalist at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, will lead Ogun State’s contingent as he aims to become the first player in Class 1–5 to win the men’s singles title. Obazuaye, a two-time Paralympian and Commonwealth Games medalist, will travel from Benin City, Edo State, to compete in the women’s Class 6–10 para event.

More than 350 players from across the country will compete for the improved prize purse. The tournament has produced some of Nigeria’s finest table tennis players over the years.

Paralympians headline 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Championship

A confident Ogunkunle believes the national format will allow para players to test their skills. “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,” he said.

Tournament referee John Peters described the turnout as the highest in any national tournament. “I am excited about the turnout this year, as the tournament has become a national event. I am particularly overwhelmed by the number of participants, and this will surely allow the national handlers to scout for a new set of players who will be groomed to become world beaters. It promises to be exciting, considering the quality of players and the turnout for the championships,” he said.

The competition runs until Saturday.

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