Nigeria’s participation in the table tennis event of the Tokyo
2020 Paralympic Games has been confirmed on Monday July 1 at the 2019 Africa
Para Table Tennis Championship holding in Alexandria, Egypt as four players
secured their places in Japan.
Victor Farinloye will be debuting at the games after the
Nigeria sealed his place in the men’s Class 8 after emerging champion at the
tournament.
Also Rio 2016 Paralympian – Ahmed Koleosho returned to
the games after emerging champion in the men’s Class 3.
Sydney 2000 gold medalist, Tajudeen Agunbiade had an easy
ride to the final in the men’s Class 9, where
he defeated Egypt’s Hussein Hussein 3-1 to emerge as champion as well as secure
his pass to Japan.
Olufemi Alabi, also a Paralympian will be returning to
the global sports fiesta in Japan after he had to work hard to beat South
Africa’s Theo Cogill 3-2 to win the men’s Class 10 and booked his place at
Tokyo 2020.
2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist, Faith Obazuaye
is now in vantage position to qualify after the Nigerian star emerged champion
in the women’s Class 10. To validate her eventual qualification, Obazuaye needs
to attend a Factor 20 tournament in Europe within the next six months to be
sure of making to Tokyo 2020.
The qualification of the four players became clear following
their participation at the Jordan Open earlier this year while the inability of
Obazuaye to have featured in any competition must have put her qualification on
hold.
Nasiru Sule who was initially aiming for fifth appearance
at the Paralympic Games lost the slot to Egypt’s Abdelghafar Kamal Ayman, while
Faith Obiora also lost the qualification to an Egyptian parliamentarian – Faiza
Mahmoud who will become the first female African to feature in four Paralympic
Games.
But the most unlucky Nigerian in Egypt was Isau Ogunkunle who was aiming for his debut in Tokyo as the Ogun State-born national champion in the men’s Class 4 narrowly lost to African champion – Egypt’s Mohamed Sameh Eid Saleh. Ogunkunle has earlier in the group stage defeated the Egyptian 3-2 but in the final, the experience of the veteran came to fore as he claimed the title at 3-2 to secure a place at Tokyo 2020 as the first African para table tennis player to be featuring in five Paralympic Games.
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