Ojaja Table Tennis Championships: Kadijat Musa shines as Ooni rewards winners

The chant of “Kadijat, let’s go!” rented the air at one of the indoor halls of the Palace of the Ooni of Ife, Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, as the maiden edition of the Ojaja Table Tennis Championships ended on Friday.

The championship ended on a high note, with the Ooni, a former national table tennis player for the old Oyo State, displaying his skills during an exhibition match.The monarch took to the table against the convener and sponsor of the championship, Mary Bruder, Director of Bruderhilfe Social Development Initiative, before surprising the young players with cash rewards.

The biggest beneficiary of the Ooni’s generosity was the girls’ U-19 champion, Kadijat Musa, who defeated the tournament’s top seed, Funmilayo Ojo, to claim the title.Musa received a cash reward of N1 million from the monarch, while the boys’ U-19 champion, Peter Uzoba from Ekiti State, was presented with N500,000.The U-15 boys’ and girls’ champions, Quoyum Olawuyi and Deborah Festus, respectively, received N250,000 each.Explaining the additional N500,000 reward for Musa, the Ooni said the support she received from the spectators during the final was unprecedented, with the crowd repeatedly chanting her name and urging her on to victory.

The monarch, who joined his cabinet members in cheering the young player during the final, said he was impressed by the quality and organisation of the championship.

“When I came here, what I saw actually blew my mind because it has a professional touch. I’m very impressed with the organisers,” the Ooni said.“We are impressed with what Bruderhilfe Social Development Initiative put together, and I am now more committed and will continue to support this initiative.“I feel very fulfilled and very accomplished seeing Nigerian youths being committed to the spirit of sportsmanship. I will continue to support them.”The Ooni also promised to increase his support for the championship when the second edition is held in 2027.

Earlier, the Chief Festival Administrator of the Olojo Festival in Ile-Ife, Chief Otunba Ayo Olumoko, said the table tennis championship was one of the first programmes lined up for this year’s festival.Olumoko said the organisers deliberately designed the event to accommodate participants across different age groups, from young players to older members of the community.

“We can see how it has been done. We had games for the ladies, for the younger ones, for the older ones and the elderly ones. Distinctively, we can also see that the Ooni himself also played, which shows that during his time, he was a great player,” he said.

Describing the tournament as a major addition to the Olojo Festival, Olumoko urged more individuals and organisations to support its growth.“This is the maiden edition and what does that show? If you are not here, you are nowhere. We hope that by next year, when we are doing the 2027 edition, people will come.“And apart from that, we’re looking for other corporate organisations to come and assist these young folks.“Apart from the corporate organisations, we are calling on the government, especially the Osun State Government, to be part and parcel of this.”