By Bunmi Ogunyale, Birmingham
Nigeria has qualified for the quarterfinals stage of the table tennis event at the ongoing Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The Nigerian side made it to the final eight courtesy their three nil win over Cyprus at the Birmingham International Centre on Saturday.
Africa’s number one table tennis player, Quadri Aruna defeated Marios Yiangou by 11-13, 11-5, 11 – 7, 6 – 11, 11 – 8 points, Olajide Omotayo also beats Christos Savva by 11 – 2, 11 – 2, 11 – 3 points in men’s singles.
In men’s doubles Bode Abiodun and Olajide Omotayo thrashed Iosif Elia and Christos Savva in a straight set of 11 – 4, 11 – 4, 11 – 5.
The Nigerian ladies however failed to qualify for the next stage of the competition as they surrendered to the firepower of England.
In women’s doubles, the duo of Fatima Bello and Offiong Edem fell like a pack of cards to Charlotte Bardsley amd Maria Tsaptsinos in straight set 11-6, 11-8, 14-12.
In women’s singles, Offiong Edem defeated Maria Tsaptsinos by 4 – 11, 11 – 9, 13 – 11, 12 – 10, 13 – 11, 12 – 10 points, Fatima Atinuke Bello beats Tin-Tin Ho by 11 – 8, 10 – 12, 6 – 11, 11 – 8, 11 – 4 points, but Ajoke Ojomu salvage Nigeria’s when she lost to England’s Ho Tin Tin by 11-4, 11-9, 11-7points.
Recall that the Nigerian ladies lost all their games to Singapore on the opening day of the Games on Friday.