Kunle Adelabu
It was a sweet revenge for young Blessings Omodara, a 14-year-old Ikorodu-born table tennis player, as he defeated the current champion of the Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship in the final of the maiden edition of the Ikorodu Table Tennis Championship (Junior category).
Both Blessings and Muiz had met in the final of the 2018 Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship with the later coming on top.
16 players across the Southwest States in the country participated in the championship which was held at the indoor hall of the Ikorodu Youth Centre, Ita-Elewa in Ikorodu, on Sunday, December 16, 2019.
Blessings defeated Muiz Adegoke, 15-year-old current winner of the Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship from Mushin area of Lagos State11-7, 11-4 and 11-7 and 11-5 in the final match.
Blessing proved to be too strong for his opponent with his powerful serves and also confidently surmounted everything thrown at him by Muiz. His spectacular performance thrown the spectators in a wild jubilation as they ran to lift him at the end of the game.
Also, Atunwon Quadri and Mathew Kuti, both of whom are 14-year-old and from Ikorodu, emerged as joint third place winners in the championship organised by the Ikorodu Table Tennis Club.
Blessings was presented with a gold medal and a cup with N10, 000 cash prize while Muiz was presented with a silver medal and a cup with N7, 000 cash prize.
The two joint third place winners were also given bronze medals with N4, 000 each for their efforts.
In the entertaining ceremonial match played at the event, Mr Ajose Wahab (Ladamos junior), the sponsor of the championship and member of the Ikorodu Table Tennis Club beat Alhaji Shakiru Adio Adeleye (Lemo), a journalist and member of the club.
Mr Wahab stated that he sponsored the championship to engaged young table tennis players in competitive games and also revived the game which in the time past brought fame and glory to Ikorodu.
In added that the tournament is going to be an annual event.
According to the officials of the Ikorodu Table Tennis Club, the objective of the championship is to bring other states’ junior champions whom players from Ikorodu have been competing with across the Southwest States to Ikorodu for a competition.
“We want Ikorodu table tennis to be known nationally and internationally. Our plan is to give people in this part of the country another game to focus on apart from football ‘’ , Alhaji Shakiru, who spoke with THE IMPACT, added.
“We are also looking at a situation where schools would include table tennis game in their annual inter-house sports. This would go a long way in discovering young boys and girls with table tennis talents”.
Officials of the association also solicited for support from the public in sponsoring championships, training and provision of facilities for table tennis players.
Meanwhile, Blessings, in a chat with THE IMPACT at the end of the championship, stated that the final match presented him with the opportunity to take revenge against Muiz, while also adding that he was very happy to emerge the winner of the championship.
“It was a good match and I am very happy to win the final. It was a payback time for Muiz who defeated me to win the 2018 Asoju Oba State Championship. Today, I have proven that I am a better player than him”.
He commended the organisers of the championship while also stating that he would be willing to participate in the next year’s edition.
In his own reaction, Muiz commended the organisers for providing them with an alternative competition to state championship.
He said that he cannot explain why he performed below expectation at the championship.
“Of course, I beat him to win the Asoju Oba championship but I did not know what actually happened today. He played well and won the game”, he stated.
“The championship is commendable because we have been having just the state championship which is the only championship but now, the Ikorodu championship has provided us with alternative. I will definitely participate in the next year’s edition”.
