Fierce battle looms in Abiru table tennis finals
The 2nd Senator Abiru Mixed Team Table Tennis Championships will climax on Saturday as the final contenders battle for the top prize in Lagos.
The tournament, which began on Thursday at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, features teams from Nigeria, Togo, and Benin.
One hundred and fifty players are competing in Africa’s first mixed team table tennis event, delivering thrilling rallies and high-intensity matches.
Senator Tokunbo Abiru and other dignitaries, including ITTF Africa president Wahid Enitan Oshodi, are expected to attend the grand finale.
With the defending champions absent, competition has intensified. Fourteen teams were eliminated on the first day, after failing to qualify from their groups.
Forty-two matches were played on the opening day, paving the way for knockout duels and the emergence of the finalists.
Top teams from Lagos, Edo, and Ondo impressed, while teams from Togo and Benin also advanced strongly, winning closely fought games.
Competition manager Segun Peters hailed the tournament’s quality, saying players showed significant improvement and delivered several five-set thrillers.
He noted the absence of last year’s champions but praised rising young teams and the strong performance of visiting players.
Peters said he expects a fiercely contested final and is excited to see new champions emerge at the weekend.
(NAN)
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