Abdulbasit Abdulfatai (Kwara State) and Hope Udoaka (Cross River State) emerged victorious at the Fifth Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial National Table Tennis Championships, held over the weekend in Otan Ayegbaju, Osun State.

Abdulfatai, who faced little resistance after the defending champions exited in the quarter-finals, dominated the men's singles final, defeating giant-killer Matthew Fabunmi 4-0 (12-10, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7).

In the women's singles final, Udoaka outclassed veteran Halima Hussain of Oyo State 4-1 (11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7), securing the title.

The U15 categories saw Lagos' Ifeoluwa Ajasa claim the girls' crown with a 3-1 victory (11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7) over Edo's Deborah Faleye, while Kogi's Marvelous Joseph triumphed in the boys' final, defeating Osun's Umar Ayoola 3-1 (11-9, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8).

Tournament referee John Peter praised the event as unique, noting its blend of competitive table tennis with daily entertainment performances by local artists.

"The fifth edition of the Michael and Felicia Alabi Table Tennis Festival was a combination of play and fun. The standard of play kept rising from stage to stage, culminating in the ousting of the defending champions in both the men's and women's singles at the quarterfinal stage. New champions emerged in most of the 15 events, and a new dimension was added to the organisation, with university students volunteering and assisting in all areas," Peter said.

The grand finale of the five-day tournament was graced by the Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, accompanied by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, and the royal father of Otan Ayegbaju, ?ba Adesola Ojo Fadipe, among other notable personalities.

The N11.5m prize money was sanctioned by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and organised by the Osun State Table Tennis Association. The event attracted players from various states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Taraba, Nasarawa, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Katsina, Niger, Zamfara, and the host state, Osun.

Clubs such as Aruna Sports Club, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigeria Police Force also featured at the national ranking championships.