Ajoke Ojomu staged a remarkable comeback against Sukurat Aiyelabegan to clinch the women’s singles crown, while Matthew Kuti reaffirmed his supremacy in the men’s singles at the grand finale of the 11th Elicris Table Tennis Cup, held on Tuesday, December 23, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The two-day tournament was organised by the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSSTA) with technical support from the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and sponsored by the Babatunde Abayomi Adejobi (BAA) Foundation.
A total of 64 players—32 men and 32 women—competed for a share of the ₦3.8 million prize money. Ojomu claimed her first title at the tournament after a dramatic seven-game battle against 2024 finalist Aiyelabegan.
From the outset, Aiyelabegan showed her intent, playing aggressively and dictating most of the rallies to take the first two games 12-10, 11-7. Ojomu, however, mounted a resurgence in the third game, shifting momentum with victories at 11-9, 11-5, and 11-6 to lead 3-2. Aiyelabegan fought back to level the tie 3-3 with an 11-7 win in the sixth game. In the decisive seventh, Ojomu dominated from start to finish, sealing the match 11-4 to complete a 4-3 triumph and secure her maiden women’s title of the tournament.
Both Kuti and Ojomu walked away ₦600,000 richer each, while runners-up Aiyelabegan and Adegoke earned ₦400,000 each for their efforts.
After witnessing the players’ exceptional performances, Babatunde Adejobi, founder of the BAA Foundation, pledged to further expand the scope of the tournament while reaffirming the foundation’s commitment to youth development through sports.
For Tunji Lawal, Chairman of LSSTA, Kuti’s performance once again underscored Lagos’ dominance in table tennis. He promised to sustain the momentum with plans to launch an exciting league in 2026.