…as Edem, Oshonaike face tricky ties
Nigeria’s representatives at the ongoing 2022 ITTF Africa Cup Table Tennis Championship started off on a bright note as they all recorded big wins on the first day of the competition at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, The PUNCH reports.
Their wins boosted their chances of picking the continental slots of the 2022 World Table Tennis, which holds in Chengdu, China from September 30 to October 9, after they advanced to the round of 16 of the competition.
Aruna Quadri defeated Hamidou Sow (11-4, 11-6, 11-6) and Saheed Idowu (11-2, 11-8, 11-8) in three straight sets in his opening two games, finishing as the Group 1 winner and will face Abdelbasset Chaichi from Algeria in the round of 16 on Friday (today).
In Group 4, Bode Abiodun advanced to the next round after defeating Dryche Kanga from Congo and Algeria’s Aissa Belkadi 3-0 respectively. Abiodun beat Kanga (11-5, 11-2, 11-1) and Belkadi (11-3, 11-6, 11-7) to top the standings.
He will face Derek Abrefa from Ghana in the round of 16.
In Group 5, Olajide Omotayo tops the group after three wins. He beat Gedeon Kassa (11-0,11-0, 11-0), Atarou Assou (11-7,12-14,11-4,11-4) and Derek Abrefa (11-0, 11-7, 11-7), and awaits Algeria’s Aissa Belkadi in the next round.
In the women’s category, Offiong Edem defeated Cynthia Kwabi from Ghana 3-1 (10-12,11-5, 11-4, 11-8) in her first game, before outclassing Togo’s Reine Lodina 3-0 (11-0,11-0,11-0).
She finished Group 4 with four points and will compete with Lynda Loghraibi from Algeria.
In Group 5, Funke Oshonaike also recorded victories in her opening games against Tunisia’s Maram Zoghlami 3-2 (11-2, 6-11, 12-14, 11-4, 11-5) and Kenya’s Sejal Thakkar 3-0 (11-0, 11-0, 11-0).
The seven times Olympian topped her group with four points after two wins and faces a tricky tie against Salie Aka.
Fatimo Bello, who lost her first set to Egypt’s Dina Meshref 3-1 (11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6), bounced back to beat Ghana’s Eva Adom-Amankwa in three straight sets (11-7,11-5,11-5). She faces Zoghlami in the round of 16.
In Group 2, Ajoke Ojomu finished second with three points after recording one win and a defeat. Her round of 16 opponents is Sarah Hanffou from Cameroon.
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