Isau Ogunkunle has outclassed home boy Maxime Thomas to qualify for the semi-final stage of the table tennis events of the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Ogunkunle defeated Thomas 3-1 in the quarter-final of the Men Class 4 category of the games.
Ogunkunle, an unseeded player, is the only African remaining in the table tennis events of the games after the exit of his seven teammates and Egyptian counterparts.
The Nigerian table tennis sensation put up an outstanding performance against his opponent that had home crowd behind him.
Ogunkunle is now in the medal zone of the men singles class 4 event.
Thomas had the upper hand against Ogunkunle in their two previous encounters in the 2020 games and 2022 Italian Open.
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Ogunkunle, though lost the first set 9-11, but came back in the second set by winning 11-5.
The Ogun born player also won the third game 11-9.
Ogunkunle dominated the fourth set and won 11-6.
The table tennis sensation told newsmen after the match that the game was the best in his playing career so far.
“I am so excited to win this match because it is my
first victory against Thomas, after he defeated me twice in major tournaments.
“Today, I showed that I can-not be beaten three times on a big stage by the same player.
“The victory was sweet because I defeated him in front of his home crowd at the Paralympic Games,” he said.
Ogunkunle will meet two-time Paralympic Games
gold medalist, South Korea’s Kim Young-gun, in
the semi-final on September 7.
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