Okoya-Thomas table-tennis tourney ends in style

There was excitement yesterday at the 55th Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Cup as top players battled for spots in the finals taking place today at Teslim Balogun Stadium.

From the men’s singles to the women’s singles, there were no upsets as former champions – Hamed Adeyinka, Rilwan Akanbi, David Fayele, and Muiz Adegoke are all in the race to cuddle the coveted trophy at stake at the three-day tournament.

Adeyinka who claimed the men’s singles title in 2015, 2016 and 2018 believes he has the chance to reclaim the title after five years.

“It is certain that I can win the title but I must confess that the young players are really playing well and I hope I can use my experience to my own advantage when I confront any of them. There is no doubt the tournament has really improved tremendously with the quality of players from the young players. I look forward to making it to the final and I hope I can do the impossible against some of the finest players in Lagos State,”Adeyinka said.

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The referee of the tournament, John Peters lauded the family of the late Okoya-Thomas for their steadfastness in staging the tournament without stopping years after the demise of the founder of the competition.

“I am happy that the family has remained committed to the tournament and I hope we will play more of it in future. This year’s tournament has really shown that we have the players that can take over from the likes of Quadri Aruna and Olajide Omotayo because they are playing modern table tennis with their style of play and I hope our coaches are also hunting for talents that they can nurture to stardom,” Peters said.