Toriola becomes first African to qualify for seventh Olympics

Nigeria’s table tennis legend, Segun Toriola, has made history by qualifying for his seventh Olympic Games at the ITTF-African Rio 2016 Qualification event on Thursday in Khartoum, Sudan.
Toriola’s appearance at Rio 2016 will be the most by an African in any sport, writing himself into African sporting history.
With the 41-year-old’s 11-7, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 win over Mawussi Agbetoglo (Togo), Toriola joins table tennis legends Jean-Michel SAIVE (BEL), Jorgen Persson (SWE) and Zoran Primorac (CRO) in an elite group of players who have played at seven Olympic Games.
Toriola joined Africa’s number one, Aruna Quadri, who earlier in the week picked a ticket to play at the 2016 Olympics after defeating Osam Assar 4-1.
Toriola’s victory makes it two out of the three Nigerian table tennis stars that sponsored themselves to the African Championship in Sudan. The third player, African female top star, Offiom Edem is yet to pick a ticket for the Olympics.
If the event ends this way, Nigeria would not be presenting female players in the Olympic singles event.