Tobi Adebakun wins Freedom Park table tennis tournament

By Ifeanyi Eduzor

The maiden edition of Freedom Park table tennis championship has ended in Lagos with Tobi Adebakun emerging champion of the two day event.
In an entertaining finals decided Sunday at the Freedom Park arena, Broad Street Lagos, Adebakun using a combination of good strokes and serves defeated hard fighting Ajagbe Rasheed by three sets of 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 to be crowned champion of the tournament put together for youths of Lagos Island and it’s environs.
In the third place match, David Subi who played a game of his life in the quarter-finals recorded a 3-0 victory of 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 over Alaba Balogun to emerge as the third best player of the competition.
Prior to the finals, Ajagbe Rasheed defeated David Subi by 3-1 of 13-11, 8-11,11-4,11-6 in the first semi-finals while Tobi Adebakun recorded a three set victory of 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 over Alaba Balogun in the second semi-final game.
Speaking on his victory, Adebakun who said that his target is to become a great player in future, explained that hard work and determination gave him victory just as he commended the organisers for putting up the championship aimed at encouraging youths of Lagos Island to be actively involved in sports .
” At the beginning of the tournament, I never knew I will emerge winner but after my first game, I became more focused and composed and then trained harder for the next matches and I give God all the glory for seeing me through.
“With this victory, I’m now encouraged to take my game more serious so as to become a great player in future and kudos must go to the organisers for putting this tournament together as it enabled us to get more exposure and perfect our skills in tennis”, he said
Special guest at the event who also. doubles as the Secretary General of Nigeria Boxing Board of Control ( NBB of C), Remi Aboderin described the tournament as a good initiative for grassroots development of table tennis noting that more of such tournaments will help to keep the youths busy and reduce social vices, youth restiveness and crime in the society.
” I must commend the management of Freedom Park Bar for organising this grassroots tournament which is an indication that the development of sports should not be left for Government alone.
“More of this type of championship by different organisations is not only capable of helping the youths develop their skills but will also help to keep them busy thereby reducing social vices and crime in the society.
“Like I’ve always said, sports development should not be left for Government alone, All the Government need to do is to create an enabling environment and corporate organisations will be fully involved in sports development as is done in other climes.
“In countries like United States of America, I have not seen them appoint a Sports Minister but because an enabling environment has been created there for sports development, you see their athletes not only winning laurels for the country but dominating other countries of the world in sports and that’s what I want to see in Nigeria”, he stressed.
Winner of the tournament went home with N100,000 while the first and second runners-up got N75,000 and N50,000 respectively.
Highlight of the tournament was a raffle draw in which a Mrs. Tosin Alfred-Kemapado won a Sallah ram with others winning various consolation prizes.