There were roars of redemption and sighs of dethronement at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall on Saturday, as Denmark’s Anders Lind and Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto rose to the top of the table tennis world at the 2025 WTT Contender Lagos.
Lind, who fell short at last year’s edition, completed a perfect revenge tour by clinching the men’s singles gold, defeating Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar in a thrilling 4-1 final (11-4, 13-11, 10-12, 13-11, 11-7).
It was a high-octane encounter defined by blistering forehands, edge of the table saves, and big moments; three of which were decided by razor-thin margins.
“The game was very tough. My opponent; I know him very well, we’ve played a lot of times,” Lind told PREMIUM TIMES after the final.
“I feel that every time we play, the matches are very close. It’s really a 50-50. I think he played good today. It could have gone either way. Big respect to him. I’m lucky enough that I won the match today.”
Pucar, ever the sportsman, acknowledged Lind’s edge while plotting his next move.
“I think it was a close match; we had three close sets in which he took two of them. I think that was crucial,” the Croatian admitted.
“He had the upper hand on most of the points. He was better. We’ve played already five, six times, and I think he’s won more than me. But I’ll give my best to change that moving forward.”
Honoka Hashimoto (PHOTO CREDIT: ITTF MEDIA)
In the women’s singles, Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest statements by unseating India’s defending champion, Sreeja Akula, with a masterclass in defensive resilience. Hashimoto swept to a 4-1 victory (11-7, 11-3, 11-4, 9-11, 13-11) that left no doubt about who owned the night.
For Akula, who wowed the Lagos crowd in 2024 with her title-winning run, it was a harsh reminder of how fast the women’s field is evolving, and how unforgiving Hashimoto’s counter-attack can be when she finds her rhythm.
In the doubles events, South Korea’s Kim Nayeong and Ryu Hanna stood tall after a fiercely contested women’s doubles final, edging past Egypt’s Hana Goda and Dina Meshref 3-2 in a battle that swung with every serve and smash.
On the men’s side, India defended their title but, with a fresh duo. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Akash Pal barely gave their French opponents room to breathe, sweeping Leo De Nodrest and Jules Rolland 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-9) in a dominant display of rhythm and teamwork.
READ ALSO: WTT Contender Lagos 2025 heats up as global stars battle for ranking points
With five world-class competitions packed into four weeks, including the African Championships and youth events, Lagos has solidified its place on the global table tennis map. And if Saturday night’s finals were anything to go by, Africa’s most populous city is now a legitimate battleground for world glory.
WTT Contender Lagos didn’t just crown champions; it built rivalries, sparked stories, and reminded the world that the journey to the top often begins in places where the crowd never stops believing.
