Ondo’s Taiwo Mati and Lagos State’s Bose Odusanya at the weekend won the men and women’s singles titles respectively at the one-day Lagos Top 16 Invitational Challenge held at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Odusanya defeated Kwara State’s Bisola Asaju 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 3-11, 11-5, 11-6 to clinch the title in the women category, Mati beat the revelation of the tournament, Bayelsa’s 15-year-old Samuel Boboye 13-11, 8-11, 7-11, 11-13, 11-7. 1-11 to cart away the title in the men’s class. The men’s singles was an interesting encounter that brought out the best in Mati to subdue the same opponent that beat him in the group stage
Speaking on her feat, the excited Odusanya, who was denied two recent national championships by G20’s Fatimo Bello, said her victory, this time was a result of hard work, adding that she hoped to maintain her newfound form in successive games. Bello had earlier suffered defeat in the hands of finalist, Asaju, in the semifinal phase.
Sponsor of the N1.2 million prize money event and Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Gafar Bolowotan, under the umbrella of Renewed Hope, Lagos, expressed fulfillment in the organisation and the quality of the championship.
He added that the Commission would continue to support such challenge, which has continued to bring out the best table tennis players in the country.
He also thanked the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) for always giving a helping hand when such a championship is being put together.