4th November, 2011
Nigerian female table tennis team have settled for the second position after losing to Australia in the final of the World Team Table Tennis Championship in Germany on Thursday.
The Oceania champions, Australia, won the competition by three straight sets against Nigerian team which paraded their top female ping pongers.
To qualify for the final, the Nigerian ladies beat Canada 3-2 in the first game defeated Venezuala 3- 0 in the second group match.
P.M. Sports gathered that in the final, Australia’s experienced ping ponger, Jian Fang Lay, got the best out of Offiong Edem of Nigeria in straight sets of 11-6, 11-3, 11-7.
In the second game, Miao Miao of Australia outshone Nigeria’s Olufunke Oshonaike in another straight sets of 11-9, 11-4, 11-9.
Claire Campbell-Innes, wrapped up the game for the Aussie team when she defeated Cecilia Akpan 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 14-12.
President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Kayode Omotosho, said the performance of the table tennis team, which earned them silver medal in the tournament, was excellent as they played beyond expectations to make the continent proud.
Omotosho appealed to corporate organisations in the country to support the federation in its bid to organise regular tournaments in order to keep the players in top form and also to discover new talents.