Nigeria maintains winning streak at Rio Olympics table tennis team qualifiers

Nigeria’s male players at the ongoing Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday maintained their good start to the event.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the team, which has veteran player, Segun Toriola, joining forces with Quadri Aruna and Bode Abiodun, won their two scheduled matches.
They beat Switzerland 3-0 early on Monday before thumping India 3-0 later in the day.
In their opening Group F match on Sunday, they had defeated Turkey 3-0.
They now lead their group with six points from three wins in three matches and are the only unbeaten side in the group.
NAN reports that the competition is for national teams to gain slots for participation in the team events at the 2016 Olympic Games scheduled for Rio, Brazil.
The Games is slated for August 5 to 21.
The Nigerian team, who are ranked 33 in the world, will now face Slovak Republic on Tuesday for their fourth match and Vietnam on Wednesday for their final group game.
The male players, who sponsored themselves to the competition, are the only Nigerian team participating due to what officials described as paucity of funds.
The male representatives are Toriola, Aruna, Abiodun and Ojo Onaolapo.
Aruna told NAN on telephone that they took advantage of their opposing players to gain victory.
He however said they played their hearts out to ensure they emerge victorious.
He said: “Our experience came to good use in the matches.
“We played with the experiences and skills we have acquired over time in the game.
“We encouraged one another to be focused and play well and we are determined to ensure that we take part in the team event at the Olympics.
“We are giving all our best and promise to do so all through the qualifiers.”
Speaking on the development, Anderson Bankole, the Technical Director of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, charged the players to maintain the winning streak.
Bankole said by so doing, they could guarantee their participation in the team event at the Olympics.
He said: “I am very impressed by their performances and I don’t want them to get carried away.
“They should face each match as it comes and not get carried away by victories.
“With the way they started and are going, I am optimistic that they will end well.”
NAN.