Sultan Agunbiade has emerged as Nigeria’s sole remaining contender in the men’s singles event at the 2026 WTT Contender Lagos after an impressive first-round victory over compatriot Matthew Fabunmi at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall on Thursday.

The young Nigerian star, who fought his way into the main draw through the qualifying rounds, continued his fine form with a composed and confident display against Fabunmi. Agunbiade had already captured the attention of home fans on Wednesday after defeating wildcard entrant Afeez Yunus 3-1 to secure qualification for the main competition.

His steady rise in the tournament is expected to boost his world ranking points and further establish him as one of Nigeria’s emerging table tennis prospects.

While Agunbiade progressed, several other Nigerian players bowed out of the competition against more experienced international opponents.

Olajide Omotayo suffered a straight-sets defeat to South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon, losing 11-9, 11-3, 11-8.

Taiwo Matti also exited after falling 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 to Frenchman Lilian Bardet.

Against Romania’s Andrei Istrate, Muiz Adegoke put up a spirited fight but eventually lost 14-12, 11-6, 12-10 in straight sets.

Meanwhile, Azeez Solanke came close to progressing before narrowly losing 3-2 to Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou in a thrilling five-set encounter.

Elsewhere, defending champion Anders Lind survived an early scare in his opening match, battling back from two sets down to defeat France’s Iulian Chirita 3-2.

The Danish star, who is aiming to become the first player to successfully defend the Lagos title, admitted the competition has become increasingly difficult.

“The opening match is always the toughest because it takes time to settle into the tournament,” Lind said.

“I struggled in the first two sets, but I managed to fight back. Every match gets tougher as the tournament progresses, so I’m taking it one game at a time.”

Lind also praised the Lagos crowd for creating a vibrant atmosphere throughout the tournament.

“The fans here are incredible. They support everyone, not just the Nigerian players. They celebrate every good rally and every brilliant point, and that gives players extra motivation,” he added.

With Agunbiade now carrying the nation’s hopes in the men’s singles and Lind chasing another title, the competition is set for more exciting battles as the tournament enters its decisive stages.