The 2025 edition of the Valuejet Lagos Regional Para Table Tennis Championships opened in thrilling fashion at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, drawing top para-athletes from across West Africa.
Paralympic stars lit up the opening day, with Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Olufemi Alabi and Tajudeen Agunbiade, alongside Paris 2024 bronze winner Isau Ogunkunle, all bringing intensity and experience to the competition. Their performances have raised the stakes in the singles categories as they battle for gold.
A total of 98 athletes—57 men and 41 women—from Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo are participating in the singles events. Notable contenders include Alabi, Agunbiade, Ogunkunle, and Commonwealth Games medalists Kate Oputa and Faith Obazuaye, who are standing out amid stiff competition from younger talents.
While several singles finals are scheduled for Friday, July 11, the doubles events take centre stage today, July 10.
Speaking during a pre-tournament briefing, two-time Paralympian Faith Obiora described the competition as a crucial developmental platform. “Since its inception seven years ago, this championship has helped us sharpen our skills—even during periods without international events. It has played a major role in sustaining and grooming Nigeria’s para-table tennis talent,” she said.
Wahid Enitan Oshodi, President of the African Table Tennis Federation, also lauded the tournament’s consistency and impact.
“Organising para-sports is no small feat in Nigeria, yet the Sunday Odebode Foundation has sustained this event, now in its seventh edition, with the support of Valuejet,” Oshodi said. “Ogunkunle’s Paralympic bronze—our only medal in Paris—highlights the importance of such initiatives. He acknowledges this platform for his growth, and we hope this event fuels more success stories on the road to the next Paralympics.”
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