ITTF No.4 (Jan) Final (2023_01_12)

TALENTS
“Going to Tunisia really boosted my
confidence that I could do well in any
competition”, reflected Matthew Kuti.
“Knowing full well that I would be going
to Cairo for WTT Youth Contender, I
moved to Abuja where I trained well,
hoping to exceed my performance.”
The move to Abuja, some 330 miles
inland, proved wise, it enabled him
to hone his skills, pay attention to
detail and prevail at crucial moments.
Impressively in Cairo, in the under 13
events he ended the hopes of Puerto
Rico, the Caribbean Island a hotbed for
table tennis, he beat Enrique Rios prior
to overcoming Steven Moreno.
“After qualifying for the final, I knew
that it would be easier than the semifinal
because my semi-final opponent
was stronger than my final opponent”,
said Matthew Kuti. “So, I was a bit
more relaxed in the final and I played
with ease to claim the title. In all my
matches, the semi-final in the under 13
event was the most difficult match for
me in Egypt.”
Perhaps Mathew Kuti’s reaction was
somewhat surprising when considering
the status of his adversaries. At the
time of the tournament, on the ITTF
Table Tennis Youth World Rankings, in
the under 13 boys’ age group, Steven
Moreno topped the list, Enrique Rios
occupied second spot. However, one
fact is beyond doubt, beating the
leading names in the global order was
an incredible performance; to win he
had to beat the best.
Confident but also prior to the trip to
Cairo, Matthew Kuti was realistic, he
had no great expectations; perhaps that
worked in his favour, he was relaxed, no
pressure on his young shoulders, he
could play freely.
“Before the tournament, I
just wanted to go out there
and show what I could do,
I did not expect I could win a
title; I had also been told that it
would be tougher than Tunis being
a tournament for players across
the globe”, said Matthew Kuti. “After
my first match, I knew that if I wanted
to win, I needed to play my backhand
more, in Nigeria, we play more from the
forehand.”
A strong forehand, it is the nation’s
traditional style. Atanda Musa, in his
prime in the 1980s, was no mean
player from the backhand but a mighty
forehand was his strength. It is the
same for his modern-day successor,
Quadri Aruna is of the same ilk.
“We have confidence playing from
the forehand, but we are not too
sure of playing with the backhand”,
continued Matthew Kuti. “I started
playing well, especially in the semifinal
of the under 13 event, where
I faced one of the strongest players
in the category. I noticed that my
opponent played from all angles, I
needed something extra to beat him;
so, I decided to take risks with my
backhand and this worked for me.”
Aware of what is needed to
improve, in addition, Matthew Kuti
has one vital factor in his favour,
good parental support; his father is a
most worthy player.
“Initially I was in love with
football at a tender age
because that was the most
popular sport in Nigeria and in
my town; at four years old, I
was fond of playing football”,
explained Matthew Kuti.
“However, my father was
a table tennis player for
my town, he decided
to encourage me to
join him in training;
that was how I found
myself in table tennis.
Since then, table tennis
has been my life.
Everything around me
revolves round the sport; I eat and
breath table tennis now.”
Now having tasted success,
realising that he can push back
barriers, he is highly motivated,
aware of the dedication needed.
“I train twice daily from 9.00
am to noon, then I return to
training again in the evening; this
helped me to prepare for the WTT
Youth Contender in Cairo”, added
Matthew Kuti. “At the African Youth
Championships in Tunis, I was a bit
nervous; that really affected my
game being my first international
outing for Nigeria. Now, for me to
become what I dream of, I think I
need to redouble efforts on working
on my backhand because without it,
it will be difficult to be the best,”
Most certainly the young man
is aware of what is needed to
progress; in recent years the
backhand has become increasingly
important, China’s Zhang Jike,
Olympic Games gold medallist and
World champion is the supreme
example.
One wonders what the young man
now based in Abuja may achieve; is
he the next Atanda Musa, the next
Quadri Aruna? No, he is the first
Matthew Kuti.
46-ITTF Magazine ITTF Magazine- 47