Nigerians Dominate Valuejet ITTF Lagos Para Open

Hosts, Nigeria carted home all the medals at stake at the Valuejet ITTF Lagos Para Open to dominated visiting India, Uganda, Benin Republic, South Africa, and Togo.

The three-day tournament, which has now been sanctioned by ITTF as a Factor 20 World Ranking event, was concluded at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium at the weekend.

Majority of the Paris 2024 Paralympics-bound athletes dominated their various events with Bolawa Akingbemisilu being the most successful athlete at the tournament.

Akingbemisilu who is the African champion in class five, enjoyed success in the singles, while he partnered Egbinola Oluade to gold in men’s doubles class 4-8, and Chineye Obiora to the top prize in mixed doubles class 10.

Success in the men’s doubles also meant that Oluade departed with two titles, having won the men’s singles class 1-3.

Likewise, it was two titles for Abiola Adesope and Temitore Adris; as Adesope partnered Aishat Raji to mixed doubles class 20 gold, having prevailed in men’s singles class 6-7.

Rather differently, Temitope Idris proved the ideal partner. She joined forces with Precious Okafor to win women’s doubles class 14-20 and allied with Tajudeen Agunbiade to claim the mixed doubles class 14-17 title.

Success for Adesope meant he repeated his feat of the previous month when he had emerged successful at the ITTF Africa Para Championships in Egypt and had thus booked his place in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

It was the same outcome for his compatriots. In the men’s singles Isau Ogunkule won class 4, Kayode Alabi prevailed in class 6, Victor Farinloye emerged the victor in class 8, Alabi Olufemi succeeded in class 10.

Not to be overshadowed, in the women’s singles, Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi maintained her Egypt form to claim the class 4-5 title.

Meanwhile, in the remaining women’s singles events, there were successes for players trying to establish themselves on the international stage. Nosimot Ganiu won class 1-3, Kafayat Olaitan succeeded in class 6-8, Maryam Popoola in class 9-10.

In the one remaining title, Agunbiade and Francis Chukwuemeka claimed gold in men’s doubles class 14-18.