28th March, 2012
Nigerian male team in the ongoing World Team Table Tennis Championship in Dortmund, Germany Tuesday afternoon brighten their chances of progressing to the next stage with a resounding victory over Finland.
The Nigerian team outstroked their Finland counterparts in a match that ended 3-0. Ojo Onaolapo, who made his international debut for the country, was the match hero. P.M.Sports gathered from the venue of the tournament that the teenager’s performance contributed to the victory of Nigeria over Finland.
The male team will face Canada today in their last Group E game. The three top teams in the group, which made up of Romania, India, Canada, Norway, Finland and Nigeria are expected to progress to the next stage of the championship.
Romanian team are currently topping the group with four wins from four matches, while India placed second with three wins. Nigeria are third with two wins. Canada and Norway have one win each, while Finland lost all their matches.
The Nigerian female team were not lucky in their game as they fell 3-0 to their Israelis counterparts.
A board member of Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTTF, who is also the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development in Lagos State, Wahid Oshodi, who was in Dortmund for the championship said: “It was obvious that we need to expose our younger players and this has paid off with the good performance of Ojo Onaolapo, who defeated his Finish opponent.
“What we need now is to get a foreign technical official that will help improve the game in the country. I want to commend Segun Toriola and Funke Oshonaike for their commitment to the country especially their dedication whenever their services are needed.”
—Taiwo Adelu