Oyetayo, Odusanya Record Upset As Toriola Commends Oyetayo..

Bobocica Mihai.

As the first Lagos International Table Tennis Classic has entered the fifth day, a major upset was recorded on Tuesday in the group stage of Men's Singles as a Nigerian home based table tennis player, Shola Oyetayo, defeated Bobocica Mihai of Italy, ranked eighty- nine in the world.

Oyetayo, who plays Nigeria Civil Defense and Security Corps,NCDSC, defeated Bobocica Mihai by three set to one in his second group B game to advance to the main chart of thirty- two seeded players.

Prior to the game, Bobocica had said that Nigerian table tennis players were tactful and skillful, stressing that the duo of Aruna Quadri and Segun Toriola are his major obstacle.

Oyetayo, explained that the rigorous training programmes he went through for a couple of months to the tournament gave him the confidence to outplayed Bobocica whom he described as a good ping ponger, adding that his capitalised on Bobocica's inability to return his services to beat the Italian ping ponger who one of the tournament's favorites.

In the Women's singles, Bose Odusanya, a Lagos State female table table tennis who represented the state at the alst concluded National Sports Festival tagged EKO 2012 Games also recorded an upset as she defeated Rashidat Ogundele, the winner of Garden Games 2010 Gold medalist in the Women's Singles event.

Meanwhile, former African number one table tennis player, Segun Toriola, has commended Shola Oyetayo, for makig Nigeria proud in the ongoing Lagos International Table Tennis Classic.

Toriola, who has also qualified for the main chart of thirty- two seeded players having won his group D  matches, said he was elated that a Nigerian home based player was able to achieve such feat, stressing that the victory would inspire his contemporary to work hard.

Toriola, who believed that Nigeria is naturally blessed with talented table tennis players who can take on any world class ping ponger, said the players lack of exposure to both local and international competitions as well as training tours are the major setback to the growth of table tennis in Nigeria.

He said the result would sent a positive remark to the International Table Tennis Federation,ITTF, and African table Tennis Federation,ATTF,that another Nigerian home based player defeated world class ranked ping ponger.