By Jide Olaniran
When the International Table Tennis Federation sanctioned the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender Series to take place in Lagos in 2023 little did the body know that it is setting the global table tennis fraternity up for a unique experience in the city of aquatic splendour.
A taste of the pudding they say is in the eating and that experience a year ago by players ,officials and fans who had travelled from all over the world to witness the first edition of the contender series had gotten Lagos a nod as one of the hosts of the 2024 series as securing the hosting rights for an international sporting event back to back shows that the host had made a good first impression and staking a claim for recognition as a premium destination for global sporting events.
If the 2023 edition had failed to convince the doubting Thomas’s, the 2024 edition raised the bar as 15 countries from four continents participated in the event which had $80,000 prize money on offer plus ranking points at stake .
The Molade Okoya Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium saw the convergence of top ranked table tennis players jostle for honours just as they immersed themselves in Lagos hospitality exemplified by the warmth of the people, the clement weather, food ,music and the beautiful scenery of the vibrant city which captures the hustle and bustle of the people.
One of the players ,a former World number one, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, who won his second WTT Contender singles title in the Lagos series is visiting the centre of excellence for the second time , Ovtcharov, an Olympic Games medalist and one of the most respected table tennis players in the world said Lagos has become part of him as the city brings out the best in him.
The German won the WTT Contender Lagos Men’s Singles title at the the expense of his compatriots Ricardo Walther, a delighted Ovtcharov said “ I’m excited and I had a good feeling coming to Lagos because of how well I was supported last year. I played good table tennis dropping just two games on the way to the title.
“It is really special to win in Lagos and I think a few countries aside here like Germany my country home and Russia where I used to play a lot and always feel welcomed , So it is a big moment to win in Lagos”.
Also, Ovtcharov’s compatriot Steffen Mengel, a quarterfinalist in the Men’s Singles described the Lagos ambiance as unique. Menzel said “ I was here in 2019 and then I felt a warm welcome ,the people were very nice ,friendly and enthusiastic. It’s something we don’t have in Europe like during the match everyone is cheering in support.
“I feel they appreciate and support me ,I am so happy about the support as the whole hall was on my side, there is somehow a connection and it was very nice to see this “.
Women’s Singles champion and the first female Indian to win a WTT Contender title Sreeja Akula is not new to Lagos as she has visited twice in the past, Akula had the compliment of the Indian community in Lagos going for her which impacted her performance, reviewing her country’s performance ar the WTT Contender, Akuma was quick to admit Lagos has become a fortress fir Indian players stressing that she would continue to come back to the city.
“It was an amazing tournament especially because of the crowd who were enthusiastic, they motivated me a lot and I look forward to many WTT tournaments in Lagos” Akula said.
In 2023, Akula’s team mate Manar Thakkar had remarkable experience, his career took off practically in Lagos and he can’t stop coming back to where he feels at home for future events .
Thakkar ,who claimed the doubles title with his compatriot Harmeet Desai this year said “ It feels great because ,it’s my first WTT Contender title and it is in the doubles, I am happy to play with Desai for the first time and win our first tournament together.
“Last year I played well in Nigeria and this year, winning here in front of so many people feels great, it feels like home ,so hopefully I will come back here and play well in the future”. In the same vein, Women’s Doubles Champion , Archana Kamath, who returned to Lagos this year after her maiden visit in 2023 said “ It is fun to play out here, we were here last year, the crowd keeps getting better and we are very happy to have won the tournament, , we look forward to playing in Lagos and we would like to come back next year as partners”.
Not left out of the Lagos attraction is Frenchman and semifinalist in the Men’s Singles , Thibault Poret, he is awe struck by the eclectic experience at the tournament which makes him look forward to another exciting time in the city come 2025. “I’m happy with my tournament here and I hope I will come back next year, it has been a good organisation in Lagos and I like it “ Poret said.
Lending his voice to the Lagos testimonials is India’s standard bearer to the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Sharath Archanta, who spoke glowingly about his Lagos experience. “This is my first time in Lagos , I have heard a lot about the city and I am not surprised by what I am seeing now, it is a good place to play table tennis ,especially with the massive support from the fans“, Archanta said.
“Its been good for us ,good competition warm hospitality and warm weather, we feel at home“, he added.
Another of the Indian contingent, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran said: “This is my first time in Lagos and I like the vibe, the crowd is very entertaining.”
Aside Lagos supporting fans is the Nigerian delicacies relished by the Indian contingent particularly is the Jollof Rice .
Women’s Singles semifinalist ,Yashaswini Gharpade revealed her love for Nigerian Jollof Rice which is now a global culinary indulgence.
“What I love about Nigeria is its cuisine, I like Jollof Rice , I like it so much and even my team mates like it too much , We mostly ear that because it is pretty similar to the Indian taste”.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was the Special Guest at the finale of this year’s WTT Contender pledged to continue to raise the profile of the tournament. Sanwo-Olu said “Sports in Lagos has come to stay and we are happy that World Table Tennis has identified Lagos ,Nigeria as one of the cities promoting Table Tennis in Africa and the World.
He said: “We are happy that WTT Contender Lagos has attracted some of the best players in the world to the state, we have seen Table Tennis played at the highest level imaginable and we are happy that young Nigerians have also turned up for the tournament”.
“The fans turnout shows that the organisation has been spectacular, just like you would find anywhere in the world .We are hoping that this would encourage more sponsors to support future WTT Contender Lagos and sustain Lagos’s fine reputation as a popular destination for global sporting events business and tourism”.
Hosting the WTT Contender for the second year running reinforces Lagos place in sports tourism.
