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Mati dominates at Morocco ITTF Junior Open

Taiwo Mati continued his good performance outside Nigeria after the Ondo State-born athlete emerged winner in the boys cadet singles event at the just concluded ITTF World Junior Circuit held in Agadir, Morocco.

Mati dominates

Also at the weekend, Nigeria’s duo of Usman Okanlawon and Sadiat Akeem qualified for the 2019 ITTF World Hopes Challenge holding in Muscat, Oman.

Apart from claiming the title in the cadet boys’ singles, Mati partnered Hungary’s Balazs Lei to claim cadet boys’ doubles gold and finishing in top four in the junior boys’ singles.

At the ITTF Africa Hopes Challenge held in Kinshasa, Congo DRC, Okanlawon who competed in the boys’ U-12 event narrowly lost 2-3 to Egypt’s Yassine Yasser to settle for silver but his effort earned him qualification to the big tournament in Oman.

Unlike Okanlawon, Akeem who also competed in the girls’ U-12 defeated Egypt’s Hagar Ashraf Shahata to emerge champions and also secured her place in the Oman tournament.

For Mati, it was a big stage despite competing alone in Morocco, the 2019 Ghana Junior Circuit champion lived up to expectations having narrowly missed out from playing in the final of junior boys singles with a 1-4 (7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6,11-7) loss to eventual champion – France’s Vincent Picard. But the Nigeria teenager joined forces with Hungary’s Balazs Lei to claim cadet boys’ doubles gold. To emerge winner, Mati and his partner beat the combination of Saudia Arabia’s Khalid Alshareif and Remi Chambet-Weil of the Netherland (11-2, 11-8, 11-9).

Also in the cadet boys’ singles final, Mati excelled by accounting for Slovakia’s Jakub Goldir, in four games (13-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8).

Read Also: Mati heads seeding list at ITTF Junior Circuit in Morocco

Mati being the shining light of Africa in the competition, there was also success for the continent as Algeria’s Melissa Belache won the cadet girls’ singles event at the final hurdle she overcame Morocco’s Ines Outolla (9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-6).

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