Paris Olympics: Nigeria’s last hope for table tennis win eliminated

Followin the elimination of three experienced Team Nigeria table tennis players, all hopes rested on Fatima Bello ahead of he encounter against Jia Nan Yuan.

To compound Nigeria’s woes in table tennis, debutant Fatima Bello has been eliminated from the 2024 Olympic Games following a heavy defeat to Jia Nan Yuan of France in the women’s singles table tennis event.

Bello lost the match 4-0 with set scores of 1-11, 3-11, 3-11, and 5-11.

Throughout the contest, Bello struggled to match Yuan’s speed and precision, resulting in a swift and comprehensive defeat. This loss marks the end of Nigeria’s hopes for a medal in the table tennis event.

Bello’s exit comes after other Nigerian table tennis players—Aruna Quadri, Olajide Omotayo, and Effiong Edem—also exited the competition earlier. This means that, for the first time since table tennis was introduced at the Olympics in 1988, no Nigerian player has secured at least one win in the event.

The early elimination of these athletes highlights a challenging period for Nigerian table tennis on the Olympic stage, leaving the team without a victory in this year’s competition.