Offiong clinches Team Nigeria’s first win as Omotayo’s Tokyo Olympics dream ends

It was a day of mixed fortunes for Team Nigeria’s table tennis representatives at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics as only one player started with a win.

While Olajide Omotayo and Funke Oshonaike crashed out after losing their opening matches respectively, Edem Offiong scaled through with victory.

Oshonaike was eliminated after a 4-1 defeat to Liu Juan of the United States of America in the women’s singles event.

Omotayo, who was playing in his first Olympic games, went down 4-0 to Tiago Apolonia of Portugal in the men’s singles table tennis event.

Omotayo showed flashes of brilliance but failed to match his opponent for most of the encounter.

He lost 7-11, 9-11, 6-11, 5-11 to the Portuguese.

Read Also: Omotayo wants a memorable Olympic debut, eager to shine in Tokyo

In the women’s singles event, Offiong defeated Hungary’s Dora Madarasz 4-1 (11-8,11-9,11-9,9-11,11-4) to advance.

The victory for Offiong was Team Nigeria’s first victory in any sport at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The team’s gymnast, Uche Eke failed to advance to the quarterfinals in the men’s event.

Competing in the men’s all round artistic gymnastics event, Eke placed 36th with a score of 74.765 which was not enough for a place in the last eight.

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s duo of Godwin Olofua and Anuoluwapo Opeyori lost to hosts Japan, in their first game in the men’s doubles of the badminton event.

Featuring in Group B, Olofua and Opeyori were beaten by the pair of Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe 2-0 (21-2, 21-13).

They will however have the chance to bounce back from the defeat when they face Denmark in their Group on Monday.

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