Segun Toriola Joins Exclusive 7 Club With Open Arms As Offiong Edem Qualifies For Rio 2016.

Former Africa's number table tennis player, Segun Toriola, has made history by qualifying for his seventh Olympic Games at the ITTF-African Rio 2016 Qualification event held today in Khartoum, Sudan.

In the semi final clash played today,the Nigeria's sensational table tennis player, who defeated Mawussi Agbetoglo of Togo by four straight win of 11-7, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 to book a date with a Nigerian - born Congo Brazzaville ping ponger, Saka Suraju, who beat Hmama Adem of Tunisia, 12- 10, 7- 11, 11-1, 9- 11, 11-7, 8- 11, 6- 11,in the final of Men's Singles.

Toriola, now joins table tennis legends Jean-Michel Saive of Belgium, Jorgen Persson of Sweden and  Zoran Primorac of Croatia in an elite group of  players who have played at seven Olympic Games.

His appearance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be the most by an African athlete  writing himself into African sporting history.

After achieving the amazing feat, the four time All-African Games champion, who made his Olympic debut back at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, said he was excited  about the achievement as he never thought he could be playing a seventh Olympic Games in his career.

Toriola, who is honoured to be the first African athlete to achieve such feat, said it was a little difficult to qualify for the Games in Rio since he wa playing under pressure, adding that as the tournament's favourite he was being cautious since most of the ping pongers wanted to defeat him.

In the Women's singles event, Offiong Edem, has also qualified for the Olympic Games after she defeated Loghraibi Lynda of Algeria by four straight set of 11-6, 11- 7, 12- 10, 11- 3 in the semi final.

Having qualified for the final, Edem will now play against Saidani Safa of Tunisia who outplayed Hanffou Sara by four set to three, 11-8, 1- 11, 11- 8, 5- 11, 11- 9, 9- 11, 11- 5.