By Demi Adeniyi
One of Nigeria’s oldest Table Tennis sensation, Taofik Maya, have relived with nostalgia his gripping moment with fame, saying the game has brought him, “fortune and unforgettable moments”.
Now, 63, Taofik Maya fondly recalled his victory over Saubana (Sau) Aiyemojuba, to become the Men’s Singles champion at the 1996 Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Championships, describing it as the pinnacle of his illustrious career.
Maya, now a head coach with Oyo State, expressed his delight at the decision by the late Molade Okoya-Thomas family, to elevate the tournament to a national event.
Meanwhile, national men’s champion Matthew Muti and Sukurat Aiyelabegan have been named the top seeds in the Men’s and Women’s Singles categories of the 56th edition of Africa’s longest-running table tennis tournament.
Relieving his illustrious career, Maya said: “Most of us who represented Nigeria cannot forget the tournament’s impact on our careers. Back then, it was like the Olympic Games of table tennis, featuring legends like Atanda Musa, the late Yomi Bankole, and Wole Orukotan.
“I started competing as a cadet player in the 1980s, and after participating in the tournament, I made the Lagos State team for the Bendel 1981 National Sports Festival, which I won. From that year, I competed in several editions of the championships, which were dominated by Musa and Bankole.
“In 1996, with Musa having left the country, I defeated Bankole in the semifinal and then beat Aiyemojuba in the final to win the senior title for the first time. Making it a national tournament now is a welcome development, and I believe it will help the players and enhance the quality of the competition with the best players in the country taking part,” Maya enthused.
As the 56th edition of the tournament enters Day 3 on Wednesday, January 29, Kuti of Lagos has been listed as the No. 1 seed in the Men’s Singles. He will compete alongside River’s Jamiu Ayanwale, Kwara’s Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Edo’s Amadi Omeh, and defending champion Muiz Adegoke of Lagos.
In the absence of national women’s singles champion Hope Udoaka of Cross River, Kwara’s Aiyelabegan has been named the top seed. She will vie for the top prize against Kabirat Ayoola of Lagos, Aminat Fashola of NSCDC, and 9-time champion Bose Odusanya.
The preliminary rounds of the deaf and para events concluded on Tuesday, January 28, with Paris 2024 Paralympics medalist Isau Ogunkunle still in the race for the title, dominating his matches.
