Four Nigerian para table tennis athletes qualify for World Championships
Four Nigerian para table tennis athletes qualify for World Championships
Four Nigerian para table tennis athletes have qualified to represent the country at the 2026 World Para Table Tennis Championships scheduled to hold in Thailand from November 13 to 19.
The athletes are Isau Ogunkunle, Men’s Classes 4–5; Adesope Abiola Wali, Men’s Class 9; Victor Farinloye, Men’s Class 8; and Kehinde Adebisi Lawal, Women’s Class 9.
Their qualification followed a series of impressive performances at international para table tennis competitions, where the Nigerian athletes earned medals and valuable ranking points.
Ogunkunle and Victoria Ihuize had earlier won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles Class XD10 at the ITTF World Para Table Tennis Elite Championships held at the Vélodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in Paris, France, from September 12 to 16.
The Nigerian contingent also recorded an outstanding performance at the Cardiff International Para Table Tennis Open Championships in the United Kingdom.
At the Cardiff championships, Adesope Abiola Wali won gold in the Men’s Classes 8–10 event after defeating Diego Suchire of Guatemala 3–1 in the final. Suchire settled for the silver medal, while Maria Mikerez of Iraq won bronze.
Wali also claimed gold in the Men’s Open Classes 6–10 event, defeating Suchire 3–0. Suchire won silver, while Victor Farinloye of Nigeria secured the bronze medal.
In the Open Mixed Classes 1–10 event, Suchire defeated Wali 3–1 to win gold, with Wali taking silver and Al Sarragi Mutadher of Iraq winning bronze.
In the Men’s Classes 3–5 event, Jacob Wicks defeated Ogunkunle 3–2 in the final, while Mohsin Watto of Canada took the bronze medal.
Ogunkunle, however, bounced back to win gold in the Men’s Open Classes 1–5 event, defeating David Lawrence of the United Kingdom 3–0. Lawrence won silver, while Ali Alzaedi of Iraq took bronze.
Nigeria’s total medal haul at the Cardiff championships was three gold, two silver and one bronze medal.
Speaking with Tribune Sports on Sunday, the President of the Paralympic Committee Nigeria (PCN), Mr Sunday Odebode, expressed delight at the performance of the athletes.
Odebode said the results would help the Nigerian para table tennis athletes accumulate valuable ranking points ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
He said the PCN would continue to support the athletes and ensure they participate in international competitions that would improve their performance and global ranking.
“We will not rest. We will continue to make sure our athletes do well at international events,” Odebode said.
