Osun hosts 6th Alabi Memorial, 300 players chase N5 million prize pool

Osun State’s Idera Multi-Purpose Hall in Otan Ayegbaju drew one of the busiest domestic table tennis turnouts on the Nigerian calendar as the 6th Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial Tournament brought together more than 300 players chasing a boosted N5 million prize pool. With 14 events spread across singles, doubles, mixed doubles, veterans, U-15, men and women, the memorial carried the kind of depth that turns a local stop into a national test.

The tournament’s weight went beyond its numbers. Held in honour of Michael and Felicia Alabi, the parents of Osun State Table Tennis Association chairman Ayodeji Alabi, it blended family legacy with federation-level competition under the auspices of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation. Backed by the Michael and Felicia Alabi Foundation, the event has become more than a ceremonial memorial. It has grown into a fixture that gives players from across Nigeria a chance to measure themselves in a single, crowded draw.

The increased prize money, up from N3.5 million to N5 million, helped sharpen the field and explained why the tournament pulled such a large entry list. For many of the competitors, the appeal was not only the money but the visibility that comes with a strong domestic field and a packed program. With events for juniors, seniors and veterans, the Osun stop also offered a pathway for younger players to move into the national conversation instead of waiting for a bigger stage to notice them.

The absence of Nigerian standouts Matthew Kuti and Muiz Adegoke, who were preparing for the ITTF World Championships in London later in the month, opened the door for new faces to step forward. Abdulbasit Abdulfatai of Kwara State arrived as the defending men’s singles champion, while Hope Udoaka of Cross River State was set to defend the women’s singles crown. Tournament referee John Peters said the size of the field and the strong youth turnout made the event especially encouraging, a sign that the next set of domestic champions could emerge in Osun rather than somewhere farther up the calendar.