Ojaja Table Tennis Championship: Kadijat Musa shines as Ooni awards winners

The chant of “Kadijat, let’s go!” rented the air in one of the covered rooms of the Palace of the Ooni of Ife, Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, when the first edition of the Ojaja Table Tennis Championship ended on Friday.

The championship ended on a high note, with Ooni, a former national table tennis player from the former Oyo State, displaying his skills during an exhibition match.

The monarch confronted the organizer and sponsor of the championship, Mary Bruder, director of the Bruderhilfe Social Development Initiative, before surprising the young players with cash rewards.

The biggest beneficiary of the Ooni’s generosity was the under-19 women’s 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 under-19 boys champion, Peter Uzoba of Ekiti State, received N500,000.

The under-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 viewers during the final was unprecedented, with the crowd repeatedly chanting her name and urging her to win.

The monarch, who joined members of his cabinet to cheer on the young player during the final, said he was impressed by the quality and organization of the championship.

“When I got here, what I saw really amazed me because it has a professional touch. I am very impressed with the organisers,” said the Ooni.

“We are impressed with what the Bruderhilfe Social Development Initiative organized and I am now more committed and will continue to support this initiative.

“I feel very satisfied and fulfilled seeing young Nigerians committed to the spirit of sports. I will continue to support them.”

The Ooni also promised to increase its support for the championship when the second edition is held in 2027.

Earlier, the Chief Administrator of Olojo Festival in Ile-Ife, Chief Otunba Ayo Olumoko, said the table tennis championship was one of the first programs scheduled for this year’s festival.

Olumoko said the organizers deliberately designed the event to accommodate participants of 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 seniors and the elders. Distinctively, we can also see that Ooni himself also played, which shows that he was a great player in his time,” he said.

Describing the tournament as an important addition to the Olojo Festival, Olumoko urged more people and organizations to support its growth.

“This is the first edition and what does that show? If you’re not here, you’re nowhere. We hope that by next year, when we do the 2027 edition, people will come.”

“And apart from that, we are looking for other corporate organizations to come and help these young people.

“Apart from corporate organisations, we call on the government, especially the Osun State Government, to be an integral part of this.”