Paris 2024 Paralympics: Nigeria’s Isau Ogunkunle reaches Para-table tennis semifinals

Nigeria’s Isau Ogunkunle has qualified for the semi-finals in the Men’s singles class 4 Para-Table tennis event at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Ogunkunle came from a set down to beat triple Paralympic bronze medallist and home favourite Maxime Thomas 3-1 (9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6) to make his first semifinal berth at the Paralympics.

👏👏HE HAS DONE IT AGAIN!! Isau Ogunkunle has continued his giant strides at the ongoing #Paralympics, securing qualification into the semifinals of men’s Singles Class 4 Para-Table Tennis.

Ogunkunle defeated the home favourite, Maxime Thomas (a triple Paralympic bronze… pic.twitter.com/fhkFVnsg6i

— Making of Champions (@MakingOfChamps) September 4, 2024

Coming into the quarter-final, the Ogun State-born Para-table tennis expert also came from one set down to account for World number 3 Turkish Abdullah Ozturk 3-1, becoming just the second Nigerian to qualify for the last eight at the Paralympics in Paris.

Victory for the Nigerian guarantees edges him closer to a medal in Paris, where he could clinch Nigeria’s first table tennis singles medal at the Paralympic Games since the Sydney 2000 Games.

In Sydney, Tajudeen Agunbiade and Alabi Olufemi won Gold and bronze, respectively, in the Class 9 Men’s singles, a feat that has remained unmatched until now.

In the semi-final, Ogunkunle will face an uphill task against Korea’s Kim Young-gun, who won silver at the Tokyo 2020 edition of the Games.