Jide Allen of Radio Kwara and Baba Ibrahim of National Orientation Agency (NOA) have qualified for the final of the male event of the Kwara State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) organised and Hon. Ogbeni Seun Oguniyi sponsored Inter-Chapel table tennis tournament.
It will be a double racket for Radio Kwara as Itunu Olaosebikan of the first Broadcasting House in the state also picked the final ticket in the female category, as she prepares to tackle Mrs. Yetunde Bamidele of the State Information Chapel for gold.
The final comes up tomorrow at the NUJ Press Centre, Offa Road, GRA, beginning from 3.30pm.
Jide Allen, who arguably has been the champion of all NUJ organised table tennis contests, defeated Kehinde Adeseko of the Federal Information Chapel in the quarter-final, and Ibrahim Alege of the Correspondents’ Chapel in the semi-final, in two straight sets each, to brighten his chances of yet another golden honour.
On his part, Baba Ibrahim defeated Sodiq Adebara two straight sets in the quarter-final, and Babatunde Jimba of Kwara State Television Service by two sets to one in the semi-final, to pick the ticket for the final.
In the female category, Itunu Olaosebikan beat Hajia Bimbo Sulaiman two sets, while Yetunde Bamidele defeated Mrs. Jimoh Fatima, all in the semi-finals, to pick final tickets.
21 players, both male and female, from 11 Chapels participated in the tournament which is being sponsored by Hon. Ogbeni Seun Oguniyi (Adato), who is representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency at the Kwara State House of Assembly.
Hon. Ogbeni Oguniyi is the Chairman, House Committee on Energy, and the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Education and Human Capital Development.
The final tomorrow will be witnessed by the sponsor, Hon. Ogbeni Seun Oguniyi and some of the Legislators from the Kwara State House of Assembly.
Also expected to grace the final as Special Guests are the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Mallam Bola Magaji, an Olympian and Ambassador of Kwara SWAN, Mallam Hameed Adio, the Chairman of Kwara United, Kumbi Titiloye, the General Manager of Radio Kwara, Alhaji Kayode Aremu, the General Manager, Kwara State Television Service, Mallam Ayobami Akanbi, and Chief Alloy Chukwuemeka, the Nwachigoziri 1.
While appraising the standard exhibited by the players, the Chairman of the Kwara Council of NUJ, Mallam Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed commended all the Chapels for supporting the cause, which he said, will further foster unity and friendship among working journalists in the state.
He equally commended Hon. Ogbeni Seun Oguniyi for sponsoring the tournament, even as he called on other well meaning Kwarans and philanthropists to support NUJ and journalists in the state in sports and other recreational activities.
