Segun Toriola Crashes Out of Rio 2016 Table Tennis Competition

Segun Toriola.

Nigeria’s Segun Toriola has crashed out of the table tennis event of the Rio Olympic Games after losing 4-2 against Niwa Koki of Japan on Sunday.


The 41-year-old defeated Koki 9-11 in the first set before the Japanese fought back to dominate the second set 11-5.
The Japanese also won the third set 11-7 before Toriola triumphed in the fourth set, leaving scores at 4-11.
Just when many had thought Toriola was going to carry the day, Koki took him to the cleaners few minutes later with a 11-6, 11-1 in the fifth and sixth sets respectively to bring total scores at 4-2.
Recall Toriola, who is making a record appearance in the competition, had on Saturday defeated Dmitrij Prokopcov of the Czech Republic 4-2 in the Men’s Singles Round One to raise make a bold statement of his arrival but his dream for Rio 2016 gold media was quashed by Koki of Japan.
Before Toriola’s shocking exit form the Rio 2016 table tennis competition, he was one of Nigeria’s medal prospects and his ouster is a big setback for Nigeria’s ambition to return home with medals.
In a related development, two Nigerian female table tennis players, Funke Oshonaike and Edem Offiong could only go beyond the preliminary round of the women’s singles.
Oshonaike crashed out in the Women’s Singles Round 1 after losing 2-4 to 15-year-old Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico.
Similarly, Offiong lost 1-4 to Viktoria Pavlovich of Belarus, after winning the first game 11-5. She lost 11-8, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4 to join Oshonaike on the sidelines.