Sports Briefs
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THE International Olympic Committee, IOC, has honoured Segun Toriola as a record breaking athlete. Toriola is etching the country’s name on the Olympic Games’ record as the most decorated table tennis player in the African continent.
In an article published on the IOC website on Monday, July 11, Toriola was described as a record breaking athlete, who is Africa’s most successful table tennis player of all time. Toriola had been a regular feature in every Olympics since his debut at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Toriola was lauded for being the first athlete from the continent to make seven appearances with his expected appearance at the Rio Olympic Games.
“Seven is the number of athletes who have appeared at seven Olympic Games or more; the outright record holder being Canadian show jumper Ian Millar, who made 10 appearances between Munich 1972 and London 2012.
Figuring large among the group of evergreen performers with seven games to their name is legendary Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey, while this most select club is about to welcome a new member, the Nigerian table tennis player Toriola, who booked his place at Rio 2016 in February,” IOC said.
It adds, “Toriola was only 18 when he made his Olympic debut at Barcelona 1992, teaming up in the doubles with Oluyomi Bankole. The Nigerian pair scored a solitary win in the group phase, over Cuba’s Ruben Arado and Santiago Roque.”
— Jul 25, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT
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