Third Quadri Aruna National Table Tennis Open hits knockout stage

Table tenis. Photo: ROCKCITYFM

Following the conclusion of the preliminary round of the Third Quadri Aruna National Table Tennis Open, the event is now set for the knockout stage of the competition holding at Eko Club in Lagos.

From the number of registered players, this year has turned out to be the largest gathering of table tennis players in the country as over 300 participants in the senior, junior, cadet and veteran events are jostling for the N5 million prize money.

Aruna Sports and Academy in collaboration with Eko Club and Olusoga Odunayo Adesanya Foundation are staging the tournament, while the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA) is providing the technical support to ensure a hitch-free competition.

From West African champion, Amadi Umeh, to defending champions, Muiz Adegoke and Bose Odusanya, the battle for the N500,000 star prize for men and women singles champions has become tougher, especially with the invasion of the venue by some foreign-based players like Ahmed Adeyinka.

Umeh, who recently won an invitational tournament in Cameroun, believes nothing can stop him from winning the coveted prize, while Adegoke, the men’s singles defending champion, is not ready to let go of his title.

“I will surely die here because I am not ready to look down on any player, as everybody here is eager to take home the star prize. For me, this is another opportunity to prove what I am capable of doing and I hope I can follow it to the later when the tournament ends on December 3,” Umeh said.

Like Umeh, Adegoke, who missed out from the ITTF World Youth Championships held in Slovenia due to lack of fund, said he fears no foes in his bid to dominate the event.

Odusanya, the Lagos State champion and women’s singles defending