No fewer than 150 para-athletes will begin the race to earn ranking points in a bid to qualify for the 2026 World Championship at the 6th Lagos Valuejet Para Table Tennis Open, starting today, Thursday, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The para table tennis athletes from the United Kingdom, Iran, Iraq, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, and host Nigeria will compete in the 3-days tourney, ending on Saturday, November 9.
According to the President of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria (PCN), Sunday Odebode, during a press conference held yesterday, over twenty rankings points are at stake for players to earn.
“Everybody is now preparing themselves for the ranking. We have 20 ranking points at stake. It is a ranking and also a sanction tournament which is key because this is a part way for qualification in Europe.
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“We have the world championship, so it is based on your ranking that will qualify you for the world championship,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction over the turnout for this year’s tournament, noting the significant growth in participation, with players from Europe, Asia, and Africa confirming their attendance.
The ITTF Para Manager, Pablo Perez, emphasised on Nigeria’s growing influence in para table tennis, saying it serves as the motivation for the apex governing body to support the tournament as one of the sanctioned events in Africa.
“We are particularly thrilled with the growth of para table tennis in Nigeria. The performance of Nigerian players in major international competitions is a testament to the country’s hard work,” he said.
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