Paris 2024 Paralympics: Nigeria get tough table tennis draw

Team Nigeria will begin their Paris 2024 Paralympic Games campaign on Thursday in the table tennis event following Monday’s draw at the South Paris Arena, where the intense competition will unfold over 10 days.

The Paralympics will begin on Wednesday, August 28 and run until September 8.

The team have been drawn against formidable British and Chinese opponents in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles events.

Kayode Alabi and Faith Obazuaye will compete in the mixed doubles event, facing Great Britain’s duo of Joshua Stacey and Bly Twomey, while Alabi and Victor Farinloye will take on the Chinese pair of Huang Jiaxin and Peng Weinan.

Alabi and Obazuaye will start their campaign from the round of 32 in the mixed doubles, while Alabi and Farinloye will begin theirs in round 16 of the men’s doubles.

A confident Alabi expressed the team’s readiness to defy the odds saying, “We are ready for any opponent because we are well prepared for the challenge in Paris. There is no doubt that we are facing strong opponents, but we are not going to give up easily and hope to progress to the next stage,” said the African Champion in Class 6.

Team coach, Nasiru Sule is also optimistic about their chances but acknowledges the difficulty ahead: “It is not going to be easy at all because they are a strong team, but we will give our best.”

The singles draw, which is expected to add to the growing excitement is scheduled for August 30.

The Nigerian team of six men and two women will compete in doubles, mixed doubles, and singles events.

Nigeria has a proud history in Paralympic table tennis, having won two gold and three bronze medals since their first win in Atlanta in 1996.

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