West African champion Matthew Kuti reaffirmed his supremacy in the men’s game, just as regional women’s champion, Ajoke Ojomu, also staged a remarkable comeback against Sukurat Aiyelabegan to clinch the women’s singles crown, at the grand finale of the 11th Elicris Table Tennis Cup, held on Tuesday, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
In the women’s final, Aiyelabegan showed her intent from the outset, playing aggressively and dictating most of the rallies to take the first two games 12-10, 11-7.
Ojomu, however, mounted a resurgence in the third game, shifting momentum with victories at 11-9, 11-5, and 11-6 to lead 3-2. Aiyelabegan fought back to level the tie 3-3 with an 11-7 win in the sixth game.
Ojomu dominated the final set from start to finish, sealing the match 11-4 to complete a 4-3 triumph and secure her maiden women’s title of the tournament.
In the men’s singles final, Muiz Adegoke sought revenge for his 4-0 loss to Kuti at the 3rd Daniel Ford Tournament just days earlier. He started strongly, leveling the tie at 1-1. But Kuti, determined to maintain his reign, shifted gears from the third game onward, winning three straight sets to complete a 4-1 victory and retain the title he first won in 2024.
Both Kuti and Ojomu walked away with N600,000 each, while the runners-up, Aiyelabegan and Adegoke, earned N400,000 each for their efforts.
The two-day tournament was organised by the Lagos State Table Tennis Association with technical support from the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation and sponsored by the Babatunde Abayomi Adejobi Foundation.
A total of 64 players—32 men and 32 women—competed for a share of the ₦3.8m prize money. Ojomu claimed her first title at the tournament after a dramatic seven-game battle against 2024 finalist Aiyelabegan.
After witnessing the players’ exceptional performances, Babatunde Adejobi, founder of the BAA Foundation, pledged to expand the scope of the tournament further while reaffirming the foundation’s commitment to youth development through sports.
For Tunji Lawal, Chairman of LSSTA, Kuti’s performance once again underscored Lagos’ dominance in table tennis. He promised to sustain the momentum with plans to launch an exciting league in 2026.
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