Nigeria Stun India To Take Bronze In Table Tennis

Nigeria pulled off a minor surprise by
beating India 3-1 to claim the bronze medal
in the Commonwealth Games men's team
table tennis on Monday.
There were wild scenes after Ojo Onaolapo,
ranked 488th in the world, beat Kamal
Achanta, who is ranked 50th, to seal a
noteworthy triumph four years after India
had won 3-0 at the same stage.
Onaolapo was lifted into the air by his team-
mates following his 11-9, 3-11, 11-7, 11-5
victory.

"We wanted to win a medal but nobody
expected us to," he said.
"I'm excited, I'm happy to win. In table
tennis if you have a lot of the domination
you can beat anybody.
"There will be a lot of celebration for
Nigeria, a lot of drinks, dancing and food.
Everyone will be very pleased for me."

Achanta had got India off to the perfect start
with a 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 win over Segun
Toriola in just 22 minutes.
But Nigeria came back with Quadri Aruna
beating Harmeet Rajul Desai 11-7, 11-8,
9-11, 11-5 to level at 1-1.
A dramatic five game doubles match proved
to be crucial though as Onaolapo and Toriola
won 3-11, 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9 against
Desai and Anthony Arputh after trailing by a
game and 9-5.

For Toriola, Nigeria's success had an added
significance as it was his sixth
Commonwealth Games medal in a
prosperous career.
"I'm so happy because it's my last
Commonwealth Games before I retire," he
said.
"I felt so sad and worried after the first
match. If I won it, it would have been a
great start and I would have been more
relaxed. I just tried to keep myself relaxed
for the doubles.
"The doubles was the match of the game. It
was the most important match. Doubles are
strange, it is a 50-50."

Peter Engel, the India coach, was bitterly
disappointed with his side's defeat.
"We were counting on winning our doubles
match and it was 1-0 and 9-5 to us but they
lost," he said.
"After that we lost a match that we should
not lose. Kamal was not really ready from
the beginning, and this is what happens."

The gold medal will be decided later on
Monday with England taking on Singapore in
the final, after their wins against India and
Nigeria respectively.