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Cecilia Offiong

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Cecilia Offiong
Full nameCecilia Otu Offiong
Nationality Nigeria
Born (1986-06-13) 13 June 1986 (age 38)
Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria
Height1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight56 kg (123 lb)
Table tennis career
Playing styleRight-handed, shakehand[1]
Highest ranking333 (June 2009)[2]
Current ranking452 (February 2013)[2]
ClubCalabar Sports Club[1]
Medal record
Women's table tennis
Representing  Nigeria
All-Africa Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Algiers Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2007 Algiers Team
Gold medal – first place 2011 Maputo Doubles
Silver medal – second place 2011 Maputo Team
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Algiers Singles

Cecilia Otu Offiong-Akpan listenⓘ (born 13 June 1986 in Calabar, Cross River) is a Nigerian table tennis player.[3] She won two gold medals, along with her partner Offiong Edem, in the women's doubles at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, and at the 2011 All-Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique.[4][5] As of February 2013, Offiong is ranked no. 452 in the world by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).[2] She is a member of the table tennis team for Calabar Sports Club, and is coached and trained by Obisanya Babatunde.[1] Offiong is also right-handed, and uses the shakehand grip.[1]

Offiong made her official debut, as an 18-year-old, at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she competed in both singles and doubles tournaments. For her first event, the women's singles, Offiong defeated Brazil's Lígia Silva in the preliminary round, before losing out her next match to North Korea's Kim Yun-Mi, with a unanimous set score of 0–4.[6] Offiong also teamed up with her partner Offiong Edem in the women's doubles, where they lost the first round match to Russian duo Oksana Fadeyeva and Galina Melnik, receiving a final set score of 3–4.[7]

Four years after competing in her first Olympics, Offiong qualified for her second Nigerian team, as a 22-year-old, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, by placing third from the All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, and receiving a continental spot for Africa in the women's team under ITTF's Computer Team Ranking List.[8][9] Offiong joined with her fellow players and Olympic veterans Olufunke Oshonaike and Bose Kaffo for the inaugural women's team event. She and her team placed fourth in the preliminary pool round against Singapore, United States, and the Netherlands, receiving a total of three points and three straight losses.[10][11] In the women's singles, Offiong lost the preliminary round match to Australia's Miao Miao, with a unanimous set score of 0–4.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "ITTF World Player Profile – Cecilia Offiong". ITTF. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "ITTF World Ranking – Cecilia Offiong". ITTF. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  3. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Cecilia Offiong". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  4. ^ Marshall, Ian (10 September 2011). "Women's Doubles Title Retained, Cecilia Akpan and Offiong Edem Once Again". ITTF. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  5. ^ "African table tennis qualifiers to Beijing Olympic Games unveiled". Xinhua News Agency. 22 July 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Table Tennis: Women's Singles". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  7. ^ "Table Tennis: Women's Doubles". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Teams Qualified for the Olympic Games" (PDF). ITTF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  9. ^ Marshall, Ian (22 July 2007). "Gold for Congo Brazzaville and Silver for Nigeria at All Africa Games". ITTF. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  10. ^ "Women's Team Group B (NGR–SIN)". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  11. ^ "Women's Team Group B (NGR–USA)". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  12. ^ "Women's Singles Preliminary Round". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  13. ^ "Miao chalks up table tennis win". ABC News Australia. 18 August 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
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