Lagos – One of the nation’s vibrant table tennis players, Onaolapo Ojo, has missed out from the Swedish Open which served-off in the Scandinavian nation on Nov. 11, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Ojo told NAN on Wednesday in Lagos on telephone that he was denied an entry visa by the Swedish Embassy which made it impossible for him to participate in the championships.
“I won’t be participating because I was denied an entry visa for reasons best known to them.
“I could not understand anything meaningful as reasons they gave for the refusal,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the competition would hold from Nov. I1 to Nov. 15.
The player added that he had prepared rigorously for the tournament, only to have his hopes dashed by the Swedish Embassy in Lagos.
“This is one competition I have been training and preparing for, long before now. I have been putting in all my best in my training.
“I hoped to use the tournament to improve and move up in my international ranking.
“I had great expectations from the competition and had hoped to play against some of the best players in the sport at the tournament,’’ he said.
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NAN reports that Ojo is currently ranked at 357 in the international rankings and was primed to compete in both the singles and the doubles events at the Swedish Open.
Ojo was scheduled to pair with Aruna Quadri in the doubles event, but the visa denial has frustrated the arrangement.
Following the development, Quadri would now be the only Nigerian to participate in the five-day event. (NAN)
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