The final of the Lawyers Table Tennis Open (Mfon Usoro Cup) 2011 was played on the 10th of September 2011 at the National Stadium.,Lagos. The event which was supported by Access Bank was well attended by Lawyers and their families. The sponsor of the event Mrs. Mfon Usoro was present with Mr and Mrs. George Etomi. The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Mr. Taiwo Taiwo and the Secretary Mr. Alex Muoka were also there to witness the finals of the most popular sporting event among Lawyers. The Lagos State Commissioner for Sports Mr. Enitan Oshodi was also present at the event where Oduwole Olawale& Titilayo Osagie lifted the trophies as the champions male and female categories and the best table tennis players of Lawyers Table Tennis Open 2011.
In the fiercely contested finals between Oduwole Olawale and Moshood Abdullahi, Olawale won 12 – 10, 11 – 7 to emerge the 2011 champion displacing Olusegun Fabunmi who was the 2010 champion. Olusegun Fabunmi lost out at the quarter final match between him and Tunji Abdulhameed in a score of 13 – 11, 11 – 8 in favour of Tunji Abdulhameed.
Dayo Oshodi, the second best player of 2010 was displaced by Moshood Abdullahi who played the finals with Oduwole Olawale and was further displaced by Tunji Abdulhameed who won him 13 – 15, 11 – 8, 11 – 7 in the third place match. Dayo Oshodi is now ranked No. 4 in the Lawyers Table Tennis Open statistics as against No. 2 position he retained in 2009 and 2010.
Moshood Abdullahi made it to the finals after beating Onyeka Anionwu 11 – 5, 11 – 3 in the quarter finals and Dayo Oshodi in the semi finals. Moshood Abdullahi is ranked No. 2.
Oduwole Olawale climbed to victory after beating Munirudeen Liadi 11 – 4, 11 – 6 at the quarter finals and Tunji Abdulhameed 11 – 7, 6 – 11, 11 – 8 at the semi finals and at the finals he beat Moshood Abdullahi 12 – 10, 11 – 7.
Lekan Ijelu, the 2009 champion pulled out of the event before the quarter finals as a result of the demise of his mother.May her soul rest in peace.
Tunji Abdullhameed is ranked No. 3 following his victory against Dayo Oshodi in the third place match which ended 13 – 15, 11 – 8, 11 – 7 in his favour.
Evans Anyanwu is ranked No. 5 following his quarter finals match which ended 9 – 11, 11 – 8, 11 – 13 in favour of Dayo Oshodi.
The 6th player in the rank in Olusegun Fabunmi who dropped from No. 1 in 2010. He was knocked out in the quarter finals by Tunji Abdulhameed who ranks 4th. The quarter final match ended 11 – 13, 8 – 11 against Fabunmi.
Munirudeen Liadi got the 7th position after being knocked out in the quarter finals 11 – 4, 11 – 6 in favour of Oduwole Olawale. Munirudeen Laidi dropped from the 5th position in 2010 to the 7th position in 2011.
Onyeka Anionwu was ranked 3rd in 2010 but dropped to the 8th position in the 2011 event having lost out at the quarter finals against Moshood Abdullahi. The quarter finals match ended 11 – 5, 11 – 3 in favour of Abdullahi.
John Okoro ranked 4th in 2010 and 5th in 2009 crashed out at the group stage.
The female category produced Titlayo Osagie again as the champion. In the category, five women competed, namely Titilayo Osagie, Yetunde Martins, Ezeikpe Sisan, Chika Ozurumba and Onoabhagbe P.R.
Yetunde Martins emerged as the winner of the silver medal after playing four matches and winning three. She lost one to Titilayo Osagie. She beat Chika Ozurumba 11 – 6, 9 – 11, 11 – 5, Ezeikpe Sisan 11 – 3, 11 – 9 and Onoabhagbe P.R. 11 – 2, 11 – 1 while her match with Titilayo Osagie ended 11 – 8, 14 – 12.
Titilayo Osagie played four matches and won the whole four to emerge as the champion.Ozurumba Chika lost to her 11 – 1, 11 – 1, Ezeipke Sisan was beaten 11 – 4, 11 – 3 while Onoabhagbe P.R. lost 11 – 0, 11 – 0.
Titilayo Osagie won the women event for the second time after winning it in 2010. She retains her position as No. 1 while Yetunde Martins follows as No. 2.
Ezeikpe Sisan won two of her matches out of four. She beat Onoabhagbe P.R. 11 – 0, 11 – 2 and Chika Ozurumba 11 – 8, 11 – 6, 11 – 2. Ezeikpe Sisan who ranked No. 2 in 2010 dropped to the 3rd position in 2011 after being displaced by Yetunde Martins who competed in the tournament for the first time.
Chika Ozurumba ranks 4th in the statistics. Onoabhagbe P.R. played four matches and lost four.
