The battle for Africa’s slots in the men and women team events of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games begins on Wednesday August 21 at the 12th African Games holding in Rabat, Morocco. 18 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams will battle for the continent’s sole slot in the men and women’s event of Tokyo 2020. The […]
via African Table Tennis Teams Battle For Tokyo 2020 Slots — finixsportsblog
The already confirmed 22 teams including continent’s powerhouses – Nigeria and Egypt are expected to battle for the 2019 ITTF World Team Cup at the 2018 ITTF African Championships holding in Mauritius on September 3 to 9. According to the President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy, the two teams (men and women) that […]
via African Teams Battle For Table Tennis World Team Cup Slots In Mauritius — finixsportsblog
Despite putting Egypt on the world map with his recent world ranking as the first African to be rated in top 20 in the world, Omar Assar still believes there is need for the continent to work together to champion a common front at major competition. Omar Assar who was the first African to qualify […]
On the first day of competition, for over 20 minutes, players taking part in the 2017 Africa Cup decided to delay the championships due to the lack of improvement in their lots at continental level. When the match was expected to kick off at 4pm, the players in group wanted to address the spectators about […]
via African Table Tennis Athletes Demand For Better In Africa — newfanzoneblog
After months of inactivity since the February 2016 final qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Sudan, top class action returns to Africa as teams and players battle for medals, honours and cash reward at the 2016 ITTF African Senior Championships holding in Agadir, Morocco. From October 24 to 30, countries across […]
via Expectations High For ITTF African Championships — newfanzoneblog
After months of inactivity since the February 2016 final qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Sudan, top class action returns to Africa as teams and players battle for medals, honours and cash reward at the 2016 ITTF African Senior Championships holding in Agadir, Morocco. From October 24 to 30, countries across […]
via Expectations High For ITTF African Championships — newfanzoneblog
After making his presence felt at the just concluded ITTF World Tour tagged Kuwait Open, Egypt’s Shady Magdy is hoping for a return to Lagos for the Nigerian Open scheduled for May 18 to 22 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The 20 year-old Egypt defeated Nigeria’s Ojo Onaolapo to claim the U-21 title at the 2015 Nigerian Open and with his performance at the Kuwait Open, he is roaring to conquer in Lagos.
Despite being edged out in the semifinal of the Kuwait Open at the weekend, the impact Shady Magdy made in Kuwait caused heartaches to some top players from Japan and Denmark.
Shady Magdy caused a major surprise by beating Japan’s Toni Ryuzaki, the no.11 seed, in the first round and he maintained his good form as the player with no current world ranking in the second round accounted for another Japanese Kohei Sambe, the no.4 seed, saving three match points in the fourth game, before gaining and early lead the fifth and never looking back (3-11, 12-10, 9-11, 15-13, 11-8).
Equally, in the opening round of the Men’s Singles qualification event, he had been in good form; he had extended Denmark’s Zhai Yujia, listed at no.105 on the current Men’s World Rankings, the full seven games distance (11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 9-11, 12-14, 11-8).
But Shady Magd’s adventures came to a conclusion on Friday March 18 at the semi-final stage of the U-21 Men’s Singles event. He found the fast attacking skills of Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit, the no.2 seed, just too hot to handle; a straight games defeat was the order of the day (11-5, 11-3, 11-9).
Disappointment for Shady Magdy but he was realistic. “Looking back I have to be pleased with my level here”, he concluded. “Now I want to play more high level matches; hopefully I will go to the Polish Open and the Nigerian Open,” he said.
In Nigeria he is the defending U-21 Men’s Singles champion; last year he beat the host nation’s Ojo Onaolapo in the final. Notably on that occasion he recovered from a two games to nil deficit to secure success (6-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-9).
There are strong indications that the performance of Team Nigeria at the just concluded ITTF World Team Championship has placed the West African giant ahead of Egypt in the eventual qualification for the men’s team event of Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
At the last Olympic Games in London, Egypt represented Africa in the team events (men and women) ahead of Nigeria who has always been hoisting the continent’s flag.
With Nigeria’S outing in Malaysia coupled with the ranking of her players – Aruna Quadri and Segun Toriola, the coast is now clear for Nigeria to compete in the team event of the Olympics.
The two qualified Egyptian players for the Olympic Games – Omar and Khaled Assar are ranked below Quadri and Toriola in the March ranking released by ITTF this week.
Quadri is rated 30 while Omar Assar placed 36 in the ranking. Toriola, who has been out of the ranking list for his inactivity in recent times made an emphatic return to the rating list to occupy 116 in the ranking while Khaled Assar is rated 256 in the world.
According to the Olympic Team Ranking rules, the team ranking is based on the rating points of the three highest Olympic eligible rated players of each association, rated on the current individual World Ranking lists.
The rules states further, “Even if an Association has only one or two players rated on the individual World Ranking list, the team of that Association is still ranked. Players not eligible to represent their National Olympic Committee at the Olympic Games are not taken into consideration. The final ranking order is determined by the total number of points earned by each of the teams. Where there are tied teams, in the first instance those virtual team matches between the tied teams are considered to resolve the tie. If there is still a tie, then the total individual matches won against all opposing teams is then considered.”
To decide the eventual qualifiers for the team event of the Olympic Games, the May 2016 Olympic Team Ranking list is taken into consideration for the team selections at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.”
However, the President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy, also corroborated the Olympic Team ranking rules. “Thus as per the published ITTF ranking list as of March 2016, the current situation now is that for men, Nigeria is in front to take the qualification card for the team event in Rio with position no. 25 while Egypt is coming next with position no. 32. For the women, Egypt is in front to take the qualification card for team event in Rio with position no. 31 while Nigeria is coming next with position no. 41. This is for sure in case the application to count on ranking of March 2016, while we have to wait for two months as the ranking list of May is the one to be taken into consideration after adding some more points through Kuwait, Qatar and Polish Opens within the next two months.”
After months of dominance over Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri, Egypt’s Omar Assar has been displaced by the 2014 ITTF Star Player in the March 2016 ITTF Ranking released today.
Quadri returned to top 30 in the world from the 37th place he was in February while Egypt’s Assar dropped to 36 following the defeat he suffered against Quadri at the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup in Sudan.
At the just concluded ITTF World Team Championships in Malaysia, Quadir only lost a match to highly-rated India’s Sharath Achanta while Egypt’s Assar was defeated by lowly-rated players twice in Malaysia. The defeat suffered by the Egyptian effected his drop in the ranking.
Segun Toriola also made a triumphant return to the ranking to become the third rated African player in the world.
Toriola, who acted as player/coach at the ITTF World Team Championship in Malaysia played his heart out to be ranked 116 in the world ahead of Egypt’s El-Sayed Lashin who dropped from 127 to 135.
Also, Nigeria’s Bode Abiodun continued his rise in the ranking as the Portugal-based star is rated 185 to be the sixth rated African player in the world.
According to Olympic team event qualification criteria, the ranking of the three players in each country will determine their eventual qualification for the Olympics.
As it is Nigeria players are ranked higher than the Egyptians and this was also confirmed by the President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy, who has said that it is the May ranking of the three top players in Nigeria and Egypt that will decide the eventual team that will qualify for the men’s team event of the Rio Olympic Games.
Africa’s flagbearers in the ongoing ITTF World Team Championship, Nigeria and Egypt have affirmed their readiness to gain promotion to the Championship Division after both teams secured their places in the quarterfinal stage of the men’s division two.
Nigeria completed their unbeaten run in Group F with a 3-0 rout of Vietnam to make it five wins in five matches while Egypt was made to work hard for their last group victory against Hungary. But at last it was the North Africans that prevailed over the Europeans 3-1 to record their fifth victory in Group G.
To top Group F, Nigeria defeated Turkey, Switzerland, India, Slovakia and Vietnam while Egypt overcame Mexico, Norway, Argentina, Slovenia and Hungary.
For Nigeria, this is the first time the West African giant will be unbeaten in all their matches.
The Segun Toriola led team narrowly missed out on qualification in 2014 in Japan after losing to England in the quarterfinal stage of the championship.
Nigeria and Egypt will now battle with other qualified teams for places in the last four of the championship.
Speaking after the victory over Hungary, Egypt’s Mohammed El-Beiali said: “I am so happy that we won and I must thank God for this victory. I think we have achieved one of our targets, which was to qualify as the best team from the group. Now our next target is to make it to the Championship Division. I think with the way we have been playing in this competition, I feel safe with the team because of the unity and understanding among us. It was not easy in this group but with the unity in the team coupled with determination we are getting closer to our dream of making it to the elite division.”
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to table tennis globally, Nigeria’s George Segun has been honoured by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) with a Merit Award – the highest by the world body.
Segun, a former Executive, Vice President of ITTF was honoured during the ITTF Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia alongside five other personalities.
He has also served as the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and Ex-President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) in the past, Segun is now Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee of the ITTF and was given the award alongside Khalil AL-MOHANNADI, Jean-Francois KAHN, Koji KIMURA, Zdenko KRIZ, and Tony YUE.
Meanwhile, Budapest, Hungary has been awarded to host the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships as approved by the 2016 ITTF AGM
Nigeria faced the biggest test at the ongoing ITTF World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the West African giants came out victorious against their highly-rated Indian counterparts in the third round match of division two.
Also, Egypt continued their unbeaten run with two victories on the second day of the championship. The North African maintained their 100 per cent record with a 3-0 win over Argentina and Norway.
However, it was Nigeria that recorded the best result of the night when it defeated India 3-0 to record their third consecutive victory of the tournament.
Aruna Quadri, Segun Toriola and Bode Abiodun were in fine form against the India’s trio of Gosh Soumyajit, Sharath Achanta and Anthony Amalraj.
It was a big blow to India having suffered defeat against Nigeria at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
Aruna Quadri also used the occasion to avenge his first round loss to Soumyajit at the 2015 World Championship in China. The 2014 ITTF Star Player dismissed Soumyajit 11-5, 11-3, 11-3.
Veteran Segun Toriola increased the lead when he overcame another old warlord, Sharath Achanta 14-12, 11-6, 11-13, 11-5. And Bode Abiodun thwarted what would have been a recovery for the Asian giant as he completed the rout with 11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 11 win over Anthony Amalraj.
Earlier in the day, Nigeria had defeated Switzerland 3-0 while India also walloped Turkey 3-0.
Nigeria’s next match will be against Slovakia while India battles Switzerland.
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