Rafiu Alarape of Silverbird Television, Wednesday, emerged champion of the maiden edition of Ogun State SWAN/Tokunbo Talabi Table Tennis Championship, smiling home with a cash prize of $50.

The Consolidated Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists member, defeated Afolabi Sobande of Radio Nigeria/ Paramount FM, Abeokuta by three sets to two in a keenly contested final.

The championship was played inside the NUJ Secretatiat, Iwe-Iroyin, Abeokuta, the State capital.

Alarape had lost the first set 8 -11 before winning the next two sets 12 -10 and 11- 9 but failed to win the fourth set, losing 10 -12, to put final scores at two sets apiece.

He however came back into the decisive set with a hard earned 11 - 8 win to clinch the trophy and star cash prize of $50, while Sobande finished as the first runner up with a prize of $30.

To quality for final, Alarape defeated Segun Folarin of Paramount FM Abeokuta in the semi-final while Sobande beat Sunday Adenekan of Ogun State Television (OGTV) in other semi-final of the tournament.

Both Adenekan and Folarin who are joint third placed winners went home with a cash prize of $20.

Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi who is the financial of the tournament, was full of excitement with the participation of members of the state branch of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

He expressed the readiness of members to make the tournament more competitive, saying most of them have now registered with the table tennis section of the Alake Sports Complex, to work harder on themselves and excell in the future edition of the competition.

The SWAN called on stakeholders including philanthropists and corporate organizations to compliment government in the development of sports in the state.

"We are calling on multi-national companies to partner with the State Sports Council Council, sports associations in the state to see on how we can galvanized sports to discover future talents for major national and international competitions," he pleaded

High point of the event was the presentation of special medals to the SSG, State Commissioner of Sports Development, Wasiu Isiaka and top officials of the State Sports Council.