ITTF World Hopes Team star hopes to be among world best at 18-year-old

Abayomi Animashaun, an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Hopes Team on Monday said he hoped to be among the world’s best when he turns 18-year-old.

Animashaun, 13, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that he hoped to surpass the record of the likes of Segun Toriola, Aruna Quadri and Omar Assar of Egypt.

“I plan to keep moving forward in the sport by 18-year-old, I want to be among the best world junior players.“I want to see myself beating the records of Africa’s best players like Toriola, Quadri and Assar,’’ he said.

The player, who currently plays in the cadet category, said he had high hope of moving to the junior cadre by 2017.

“For 2017, I want to move to the junior category and be the best in the male category; I plan to train hard with the help of God and my coach.

“I have the belief that Coach Olubode Ajayi has what it takes to get me there because he is talented, he is a good teacher.

“He knows the areas where I am lagging and I believe that he knows how best to help me correct my mistakes,’’ said the Ekiti player.

He said that he never expected to have progressed this far within three years.

“I am happy to be recognised by ITTF, I never expected that I would have gone this far in the sport,’’ he said.

Animashaun is listed among the 10-man Nigerian team to the ITTF World Junior Circuit (WJC) and Cadet Open held in Giza, Cairo from June 8 to June 12.