Udoaka, Kuti reign in West Africa

African Games medallists, Matthew Kuti and Hope Udoaka, showed class against experienced players to emerge as the new West African champions at the 2024 ITTF West Africa Regional Championships in Lome, Togo.

The Nigeria national champions were among the 32 men and 29 women from Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, and host Togo who participated in the championship

They competed in four events (team and singles for men and women).

The three-day tournament was organised to select teams that will represent the region at this year’s African Championships, taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Despite not playing to his best in the team event, which allowed Togo to dethrone Nigeria as the regional champions, Kuti ensured he was flawless in the singles event.

He took down some established players, including the former regional champion, Oba Oba Kizito of Cote d’Ivoire.

Starting his campaign from the group where he dropped a game against Benin Republic’s Kossi Akakpo, Kuti breezed into the knockout round to make up for the loss in the team event.

From the round of 16, Kuti took down Togo’s national champion, Kokou Fanny, 3-0, to advance to the quarter-final.

In the quarterfinals, he edged out his compatriot, Matthew Fabunmi, 4-2, to set up a semi-final clash against the player that defeated him in the team event, Mawussi Agbetoglo of Togo.

Kuti humbled the Togolese 4-2 to reach the final, where he had to face the former champion, Oba Oba Kizito of Cote d’Ivoire.

And like the great champion he is, Kuti mesmerised Kizito with a 4-1 bashing to be crowned the new regional champion.

The win ensured Nigeria held on to the title, which was won by Taiwo Mati in 2023.

Udoaka held sway in the women’s singles, beating compatriot Ajoke Ojomu 4-0 to claim the title.

In the team event, the Nigerian ladies, led by national champion Hope Udoaka, dominated without dropping a game and beat Ghana 3-0 in the final to retain the title.

But the host team gave the fans something to cheer for with a 3-2 win over Nigeria to emerge as the regional powerhouse in the men’s team event.

Meanwhile, Madagascar reaffirmed its dominance of the East African region after claiming three of the four events at stake at the ITTF East Africa Regional Championships held in Kampala, Uganda.

Forty-one men and 29 women from Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and host Uganda converged on Kampala to compete in four events (team and singles for men and women). Madagascar, led by Antoine Razafinarivo, emerged as the champions.

In the team event, the host Uganda were at their best in the women’s categories, with the trio of Jemimah Nakawala, Judith Nangonzi, and Shanitah Namaala defeating their Kenyan counterparts to emerge as champions.

In the men’s team event, Madagascar repeated their 2023 feat in Djibouti with a 3-0 bashing of Uganda in the final.

They continued their reign in the singles as the duo of Razafinarivo and Hanitra Raharimanana claimed the titles ahead of their Ugandan counterparts.

Uganda’s Nangonzi wanted to repeat what they achieved in the women’s team with huge home support, but her efforts were thwarted by Raharimanana, who claimed a 4-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5, 12-10) to lift the trophy.

In the tension-soaked men’s singles final, Madagascan Razafinarivo was emphatic in his 4-1 (14-12, 11-5, 11-2, 12-10, 14-12) to end the tournament on a high note for the visiting Madagascan team.

NAN