NIGERIA,S TABLE TENNIS TEAM

After taking part in the just concluded International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF) Lagos World Tour and African Top 16 Cup, the final
phase of camping for this month’s Commonwealth Games resumed just as
the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has named a strong ten-man
team for the championship holding in Glasgow, Scotland.
  Virtually all the players aiming to be part of the team for the
Commonwealth Games took part in the two-in-one tournament held in Lagos
last week.
  To complete the list of the team for the games, NTTF organized a
two-day trial for the players to select the final four that would join
the already listed six-man team that were part of the team to the last
World Championship in Tokyo, Japan.
  At the end of the trial, Ganiat Ogundele and her sibling, Rashidat
made the women team, while Portugal-based duo of Bode Abiodun and Jide
Ogidiolu made the cut for the men team.
  According to NTTF Secretary General, Chinedu Ezeala-Ogundare, the
players were selected based on their present form and this was to ensure
that Nigeria present a formidable team that would compete for medals
against top teams like Singapore, England and India.
  “We want to ensure that we give all the players equal opportunity to
make the team and that is why we decided to organize the trials. So for
us, we are already in camp before the tournaments last week and now we
have returned to camp to ensure that we give our players the opportunity
to train well before the departing the country for a two-week training
tour of Italy,” she said.
    The current African champion and ITTF World Cup-bound Aruna Quadri
topped the list of players that will hoist Nigeria’s flag in Glasgow.
  He will be joined by experienced and one of the continent’s most
decorated players, Segun Toriola. Toriola who guided the team to a god
outing at the World Championship in Japan will captain the team, while
former junior sensation, Ojo Onaolapo will also be part of the team.
Others are Bode Abiodun and Jide Ogidiolu.
  Germany-based Funke Oshonaike will captain the female team while other
members are Edem Offiong, Cecilia Otu-Akpan, Ganiat Ogundele and
Rashidat Ogundele.
  The team is expected to depart for Italy next week for the training
tour where they will move to Scotland for the games.