After missing out from the medal podium at the 2010 Delhi Games, Team Nigeria on Monday returned to the zenith of tennis at the 2014 Glasgow Common- wealth Games after beat- ing India 3-1 to claim the bronze medal in the men’s team event.

In 2010, Team Nigeria failed to win any medal, having been a regular med- al winning team since table tennis became part of the Commonwealth Games in 2002, but the efforts of the present board of the Nige- ria Table Tennis Federa- tion (NTTF)-led by Wahid Oshodi yielded positively, as the Segun Toriola-inspired team achieved the impossible against the highly rated Indian team.

Even in the rating of International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Nige- ria had been seeded be- low India and most of the Indian players were rated higher than the entire Ni- gerian team.
But bookmakers were proved wrong, the youthful Nigerian side turned the table against the Asian gi- ant to clinch Nigeria’s first medal in table tennis at the Commonwealth Games in the last eight years.
Despite the 3-0 bashing suffered by Toriola against Sharath Achanta, who is rated 40 in the world, Nigeria’s rave of the mo-

ment, Aruna Quadri re- stored parity for Nigeria after beating Harmeet De- sai 3-1.
A turning point for Ni- geria came in the third match, when Toriola and Ojo Onaolapo, part- nered to overcome Indian pair of Anthony Arputh- araj and Desai 3-2 to give Nigeria a 3-2 win.
However, the fourth game between Onaola- po and Achanta became the biggest upset to be recorded in the tourna- ment when Onaolapo who was rated above 300 in the world overpowered the Indian world’s number 40, Achanta 3-1 to give Nigeria the desired medal in the event.

An elated NTTF boss, Oshodi described the win as result of years of hard- work, adding that Nigerian players are talented. “I think the gap between our players and some of these top players is not much and what our players need more is exposure and they will be up there,” he said.
Also, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri had continued his fine form, as the Portugal- based player is yet to lose any match since the com- mencement of the compe- tition last Thursday.
Meanwhile, the singles and doubles events of the competition begins today with all eyes on Singa- pore, England, India and Nigeria.

TeamNigeria beats India to table tennis bronze