Nigerian table tennis stars Olajide Omotayo and Azeez Solanke came tantalizingly close to clinching gold on home soil at the WTT Contender Lagos event, ultimately settling for silver in the Men’s Doubles final.
The Nigerian duo, competing in only their second international event as a team, electrified the home crowd throughout the tournament with their dynamic play and synergy. Their run to the final raised hopes for a Nigerian victory in the prestigious event.
However, in the championship match, Omotayo and Solanke faced stiff competition from the experienced Indian pair of Harmeet Desai and Manav Vikash Thakkar. Despite the fervent support from local fans, the Nigerians succumbed to a 3-0 defeat (11-8, 11-9, 11-8) against their more seasoned opponents.
In other events, the Women’s Doubles final saw an all-Indian affair with Sreeja Akula and Archana Girish Kamath defeating compatriots Yashaswini Ghorpade and Diya Parag Chitale 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 12-10). The Mixed Doubles title went to Shin Yubin and Lim Jonghoon of Korea Republic, who overcame China’s Xu Huiyao and Luo Jiecheng 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-4).
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The WTT Contender Lagos event, part of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Series, featured 32-draw Men’s and Women’s Singles tournaments, alongside 16-draw Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Doubles competitions. Participants competed for a share of the $80,000 prize pool and crucial ITTF World Ranking points.
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