19 events including para table tennis event will be competed for at the Africa’s oldest table tennis tournament.
According to the sponsor of the tournament, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, this year’s promises to be glamorous as two brand new Chevrolet cars would be won by the men and women singles champions.
He, however, used the occasion to emphasise the need for Nigeria to regain its lost glory in table tennis. “I have said many times during the press conferences of the annual Asoju Oba competition, that if Nigeria must regain its lost glory, not only in table tennis but sports in general, we must go back to grassroots development. I must commend the grassroots development embarked on by the LagosState government some years ago. It is not only a great step in the right direction, but has even yielded great dividends,” he said.
He added: “The national sports festival which LagosState hosted was dominated by Lagos State players in the table tennis event. The paralymics table tennis also dominated their event. Lagos State staged
the Lagos International Classics, which was the climax of their general development of table tennis in the state; it was another successful project and I do hope other states will emulate the Lagos State
government in this regard.
For the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Oshodi, the tournament has churned out most of the top players that had and still representing Nigeria at international tournaments.
Oshodi, who is also the President, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), however, hailed the sponsor. “We are touched by your unwavering commitment and support to sports and this is an inspiration to us all,” he added.
Meanwhile, national junior sensations, Azeez Ogunlade, Olajide Omotayo, Bolaji Shobayo and Ayo Udoh will also be using the competition to tune up for next week’s World Junior Championship holding in Rabat,
Morocco.
Culled from The Nigerian Vanguard.
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