Kunle Adelabu
Master Kuti Mathew, a 12 year old student of United High School, lkorodu, has emerged National Champion after winning Table Tennis Cadet and Mini – Cadet categories at the 14th Aso Table Tennis Club Annual Championships (ATTC), in Abuja.
Matthew, who started playing table tennis four years ago with the encouragement of his father who is the coach of the Ikorodu Table Tennis Club, achieved the feat beating other champions in the presence of many dignitaries.
The table tennis wonder kid, who is in high spirit, is also preparing to dominate another national table tennis tournament in Lagos starting from May 18 to 22 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Speaking with THE IMPACT at the weekend at the Ikorodu mini – stadium in Ita – Elewa, lkorodu, where he trains, young Mathew Kuti said that he enjoyed every moment of actions in Abuja leading to his emergence as winners in the two categories.
“I took first in the mini and cadet competitions at the Aso Tournament in Abuja and I enjoyed the tournament and beat all my opponents to win the competitions”, he said.
“I felt great and I enjoy the moment that I was presented with medals and a cup as champion of the tournament”.
Speaking on the tournament coming up this week at the Teslim Balogun, Mathew said that Ikorodu and the entire Lagos State people should be expecting him to emerge winner in all the categories that he would participate in.
“I will be going there to win and emerge first in all the categories that I will be playing in”, a confident Mathew told our reporter.
Speaking on his future dream, the national champion said that:
“I want to represent Lagos State and Nigeria in world championships and play at the Olympics”.
He, however, appealed for support to achieve his dream.
“I need rubber (bath), canvass and other training materials that we lack here”.
More so, Ajasa Imole – Ayo , a 16 years female player and former student of United High School, Ikorodu, who also took part at the Aso tournament in Abuja where she played in both senior and junior categories and made it to the quarter final stage, also spoke with our reporter.
Imole – Ayo, who started playing table tennis in September 2016 due to the encouragement of her parents, own a table tennis spot at Itunpate in Ikorodu.
He also informed THE IMPACT that he’s fully prepared for the Lagos tournament.
“I am very well prepared for the next competition and l am ready to play at my best”, she said.
Imole – Ayo, who won two silver medals at the 2018 and 2019 Youth Festivals, also shared her dream with THE IMPACT which is to play in the Olympics as well as playing tour and career in China.
Like Mathew Kuti, Imole – Ayo also requested for support from the public for the Ikorodu Table Tennis Club for equipment and materials for training.
Mr Sunday Kuti, Coach, Ikorodu Table Tennis Club, while also speaking with our reporter, said that nine players from the Ikorodu team would be representing Lagos State at the tournament scheduled for the Teslim Balogun stadium.
