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Madagascar makes history as Nigeria, Cameroon secure Olympic spots
In a thrilling conclusion to the African Qualification Tournament, four players from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Madagascar have secured their spots at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Fabio Rakotoarimanana made history by becoming the first Madagascan to qualify for the Olympic Games. He defeated Tunisia’s Wassim Essid 4-3 (13-11, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9) in the men’s singles semifinal.
Offiong Edem secured her spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after a pulsating 4-3 win over Tunisia’s Fadwa Garci in the semifinal of the continental qualification championships. This will be Edem’s fifth Olympic Games appearance.
Sarah Hannfou joined the league of players heading to Paris after a 4-2 win against Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello in the women’s singles. Hannfou came back from a 1-11 loss in the first game to win 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, 10-12, and 11-7.
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Olajide Omotayo had an easy passage to Paris after a dominant 4-0 win over Saheed Idowu of Congo Brazzaville in the men’s singles.
The remaining two slots for the continent will be contested by 12 players who made it to the quarterfinals of the first stage of qualification on Saturday, May 18.
Over 50 players from 15 countries competed at the three-day qualification tournament hosted by the Rwanda Table Tennis Federation (RTTF). RTTF President John Birungi expressed satisfaction with the successful hosting of the Olympic qualification for the first time, acknowledging the support of the Rwandan government.
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