Paris is renowned for its association with love and romance, having inspired countless novels, films and songs over the years. Now, as the city prepares to host the Paralympic Games, an African love story is set to shine in the French capital with the promise of gold. The protagonists poised to compete for medals are Christiana and Kayode Alabi, the power couple of Para-table tennis from Nigeria.
Both are the continent’s top-ranked players in their class, with Christiana winning silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and her husband securing two gold medals at the African Para Championships last year. Their journey together began in 2017, during national trials for the Commonwealth Games, and Kayode recalls their first meeting with fondness. “It was her first time at the camp and she looked very beautiful and quiet,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
Christiana, however, was not immediately won over. “He came to me, we talked, but then I was not giving him much attention,” she said. Despite the initial hesitation and distance between them – Christiana was based in Asaba, a seven-hour journey from Lagos where Kayode lived – the couple maintained their connection through phone calls.
In 2019, Christiana moved to Lagos to be with Kayode and further her career. “Things were tough in Asaba and I was struggling to continue,” Christiana, who is a wheelchair user, explained. “Kayode encouraged me to join him so we could train together.
” Their marriage in 2022 faced exter.