Matthew Kuti Reclaims National Table Tennis Title
Matthew Kuti Reclaims National Table Tennis Title at 10th Elicris Cup
Nigerian table tennis prodigy Matthew Kuti bounced back from a recent setback to reclaim his national title at the 10th Elicris Table Tennis Cup. Kuti defeated Muiz Adegoke 4-2 in a thrilling men’s singles final at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The victory comes just days after Kuti lost to Abdulbasit Abdulfatai at the second Daniel Ford tournament. However, the teenage sensation overcame a 2-0 deficit in the final, showing resilience and determination to secure the title.
“When I was 2-0 down, I told myself nothing would happen,” Kuti said.
“I reminded myself that I lost a game from 3-1 up last week and pushed myself to give my best again. I am very happy.”
Hope Udoka Udoaka Dominates Women’s Singles
In the women’s singles final, Hope Udoka Udoaka from Cross River State reaffirmed her status as Nigeria’s top female player by defeating Sukurat Aiyelabegan 4-2. Despite an early lead from Aiyelabegan, Udoaka’s experience shone through in a hard-fought contest (4-11, 11-4, 14-12, 11-9, 13-15, 11-7).
Elicris Cup Sponsor Plans Expansion
Tournament sponsor Yomi Adejobi expressed plans to grow the championship. “This year, we opened the tournament to players nationwide to celebrate our 10th year,” Adejobi said. “We aim to stabilize this format over the next few editions and eventually invite international players.”
Lagos State’s Table Tennis Efforts Recognized
Tunji Lawal, Chairman of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association, praised the state’s commitment to developing young talent. “You can see what we’ve achieved with our young players who have progressed to senior levels. I thank the Governor of Lagos State for his support through the Lagos State Sports Commission. We will keep taking Lagos table tennis to greater heights.”
The 10th Elicris Cup highlighted the rising stars of Nigerian table tennis while showcasing the sport’s steady growth in the country.
Comments are closed.