China’s Qihao Rules WTT Contender Lagos

Femi Solaja

Chinese dominance in global table tennis manifested again in Lagos over the weekend as Zhou Qihao defeated Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany to win the Men’s singles at the 2023 World Table Tennis ((WTT) Contender in Lagos.

The jampacked Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium had witnessed high display of the best of table tennis in which Nigerian players all fell out in the early stage of the tournament.

But in the final match, it was Qihao that reign supreme in a 4-1 demolition of the German star. The winner took the first three sets 11-7, 11-6, 11-8 before Ovtcharov clawed one back with 11-7, but the Chinese wrapped it up in the fifth with a pulsating 11-7 victory.

Korea Republic was the only country that halted the total dominance of China 

as Shin Yubin defeated Li Yake 4-2 to win the women’s singles title.

Jang Woojin and Lim Jonghoon defeated the Chinese pair of Yuan Licen and Xiang Peng 3-1 to claim the men’s crown, while the duo of Jeon Jihee and Shin Yubin beat China’s Liu Weishan and Fan Siqi to the women’s piece.

However, China earned the mixed event title as Xiang Peng and Liu Weishan pummelled Korea’s Jang Woojin and Jeon Jihee 3-1 in the final.

Nigerian players failed to progress beyond the first round of both men and women’s singles events.

Taiwo Mati, Olajide Omotayo, Fatimo Bello, Edem Offiong, Esther Oribamise, and Ajoke Ojomu all crashed out in the earliest stage of the main draw.

Although the duo of Omeh Amadi and Azeez Solanke defied the odds to advance to the quarter-finals of the men’s double, they failed to surpass that previous achievements.