By Bunmi Ogunyale
Against all odds Petit table tennis youngster, Matthew Kuti at the weekend retained his title as the champion of the Dr. A.A. Efunkoya National Cadet Table Tennis Championships taking place at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.
The Lagos based ping ponger beats his Kwara State counterpart, Abdulfatai Abdulbasit by 9-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-8, 12-10 points to retain the title in the second edition of the championship.
In the female category, Taiwo Akanbi of Lagos State defeated Kadijat Okanlawon from Oyo State by 8-11, 14-12. 3-11, 11-6, 15-13 points to carte away the winner’s prize, just as Mr. Francis Sule pummelled Assistant Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs (Rtd), Mrs Modupe Amoo nee Beyioku by 11-3 in the veteran’s match that precedes the finals.
Speaking at the final, the Organising Chairman of the tournament, Mr. Babtunde Obisanya said the foremost objective of the Adegboye Efunkoya table tennis tournament is to aid the discovery and nurturing of young table tennis talent in Nigeria.
“The Foundation also provides a platform for former table tennis players, coaches and officials to interact and exchange ideas and reminiscences, and to give back something to society that made them. Most of these people who participated in the game at the highest level in Nigeria in the past thirty to forty years acknowledge that they benefited from Dr Efunkoya who played a pivotal role in the lives of so many people and in the history of the game in Nigeria,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, more than 10 states and four clubs took part in the three-day championships as players competed in five events – singles (boys and girls), doubles (boys and girls) and mixed doubles with winners getting cash reward and education scholarships.