The Guardian (Nigeria)

Bello dreams upset at 2022 ITTF World Championsh­ips

As Nigeria, Ghana set for 2023 ITTF Western Region qualifiers

- By Samuel Ifetoye

TWO- TIME regional champion, Fatimo Bello, has said she hopes to do well at the Internatio­nal Table Tennis Federation ( ITTF) World Championsh­ips holding at the Molade Okoya- Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

The African Table Tennis Federation ( ATTF) awarded the regional qualificat­ion, African Club Championsh­ips, and African Cup events to Nigeria, which is fixed for Lagos between May 19 and 28.

Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Bello, who won the female category of the three- day trials organised by the National Table Tennis Federation ( NTTF), said she had been training hard for the championsh­ips even before the trial began, adding that she hopes to pull a surprise at the ITTF World Championsh­ips.

“Even before we were called for the trials by the NTTF, I had been training hard for the ITTF events. From the trials I won the Women Singles event and got picked for ITTF championsh­ip.

“I believe I am going to give my best, while hoping to spring a surprise in Lagos when the events begin. And who says I cannot win it by God’s grace because I believe there is nothing impossible in the game of table tennis,” she said.

Meanwhile, hosts, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Togo, Niger Republic and Senegal have been confirmed for the Western Region qualifiers for the 2023 ITTF World Championsh­ips taking place in Lagos from May 19 to 21.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria