Keen contest for 41st Asoju Oba tournament

This year's edition of the Asoju Oba Table Tennis Competition, Nigeria's oldest table tennis tourney, promises to be full of excitement as young and old players will be locked in a bat field of fury.

Stars on call

The competition, in its 41st year and sponsored by businessman, Molade Okoya Thomas, has produced some of the finest players ever to wear Nigeria's colours at leading international table tennis competitions.

The list, which is inexhaustible, boasts of famous names like former national coach, Babatunde Obisanya, who is also the first winner of the competition; Atanda Musa, Bose Kaffo, Lateef Sunmola, Sunday Eboh and Funke Oshonaike.

The 2009 edition, taking place at the Mobolaji Sports Centre (formerly Rowe Park) in Yaba, Lagos and coming to a climax on December 4, will pit Yomi Bankole, Nigeria's most controversial table tennis player, who at 49 years is the old player on the circuit in the country, against young Turks like Gbenga Anthony and Tajudeen Salau.

Seun Ajetunmobi, based in Portugal, and Ganiat Ogundele were winners of last year's event (men and women's singles respectively), and were rewarded with brand new Renault cars. However, the sponsors have said this year, there will be not cars for grabs.

The comeback man

Bankole, who returned to the game last year after disappearing after the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, believes a lot of eyes would be on him to see if he can give a good account of himself while facing those from the younger generation:

"Yes I know a lot of eyes will be on me but I won't allow that to distract me. My prayer is that the best player wins, because we have all been training towards this tournament. I'm also prepared to face anyone I'm drawn to play against. So I just pray to play and win."

Same old faces

However, for defending women champion, Ogundele, who has won six editions of the tournament and is currently ranked 554 in the world and 12th in Africa, it seems it is going to be business as usual as the same old players get set to battle once again, without new faces to spring any form of surprise or upset:

"Well there is nothing different about this year's edition because it is the same old players that are here; no new faces so I expect the same thing to happen this year as I will be playing against the same people. But since Seun Ajetunmobi is not around, I tip Gbenga (Anthony) to lift the men's trophy."

Time for change

While Ogundele believes nothing has changed and expects to lift the trophy as usual, her colleagues, Atinuke Olaide and Ganiat Olatunde have promised to give her the fight of her life to ensure that change occurs.

Olaide, whose world ranking is 656, won the event in 2004, and has been denied the trophy in four other final matches played against Ogundele.

"I have trained a lot and prepared very well so I believe this year is not going to be like last year; I believe there's going to be a change this year. I think we've met in about 10 finals in different competitions, including Asoju Oba. However, I defeated her (Ogundele) during a championship earlier this year so I believe I can do it again," Olaide said.

Former junior champion, Olatunde, who got to the semi-finals last year, believes it going to be a close call between herself and Olaide:

"This year is going to be different because I'm not looking out for Ganiat; I'm going there to win the trophy so that's my expectation. Beating her (Ogundele) during the Odunmbaku championship has increased my confidence though I don't consider her to be my toughest opponent; I expect Olaide to be tougher. Not that I'm afraid of her, but I believe a new thing is going to happen this year."

For Anthony who won the men's event in 2007, the coast isn't clear yet even though his opponent who defeated him in last year's finals isn't competing this year:

"I cannot point to anybody as my toughest opponent because we have a lot of good players. Someone like Tajudeen Salau who is based in Spain is going to be around and he's a professional player.

"But this time around I believe I'm going to win the competition; that's because I'm in good form so even if Seun (Ajetunmobi) were around, I know I will be able to beat him since we've had three competitions this year and I won two of them."