17th June, 2013
Nigeria will today depart aboard an Ethiopian Airline to Egypt for the African Qualifiers of the 2014 World Youth Olympic Games holding in Nanjing, China.
The championship tagged “Egypt Junior and Cadet Open” will be staged in Ismailia from 19-23 June being the first of a series of tournaments, where players have the opportunity to stake their claim for a place in the Youth Olympic Games.
Nations expected at the Egypt qualifiers include, Brazil, United States, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Japan, Korea Republic, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Nigeria and host, Egypt.
The six-man Team Nigeria will be spearheaded by Ekiti State-born teenage sensation, Tosin Oribamise, who recently qualified for the World Cadet Championship.
It would be recalled that at the maiden World Youth Olympics held in Singapore, Ondo State-born Ojo Onaolapo made it to the last eight of the competition as the only African player and his performance attracted accolades from the world table-tennis ruling body, International Table-Tennis Federation, ITTF.
From Wednesday in Ismailia, Egypt, 121 players from 15 nations including host, Egypt, will jostle for slots at the global tournament.
Other members of the six-man team include Agnes Onoja, Babafemi Babatunde, Iyabo Adebayo, Ajoke Ojomu and Olasunkanmi Oginni and the team will be coached by Dotun Ominiyi.
Oribamise, Onoja and Babatunde will compete in the cadet event as well as in the junior event, while the trio of Adebayo, Ojomu and Oginni will jostle for honours in the junior event only.
In 2013, six tournaments will be staged on the ITTF Junior Circuit, one in each continent, form the 2013 Road to Nanjing series; the Egypt Junior and Cadet Open is the first in the series.
At the end of the six tournaments, the leading boy and girl from each continent plus the top 10 boys and top 10 girls on the “Road to Nanjing Standings” will receive entry to the ITTF Youth Olympic Games Qualification Tournament.
The tournament will be staged in conjunction with the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals in January 2014, at a time and exact date to be confirmed.
Therefore, 16 boys and 16 girls will make it to the ITTF Youth Olympic Games Qualification Tournament.
The Egypt Junior and Cadet Open in 2013 will feature singles, doubles and team events in the junior and cadet age group categories. ??
The Organizing Committee offers a total prize fund of US$8,000. There is a 20 per cent tax deduction.