A Lagos based community newspaper, Somolu Newspaper in conjunction with Badallion Communications have set aside 3 days for catch them young table tennis championship tagged “Somolu Under-15 Table Tennis Championship aimed at discovering and nurturing talented table tennis players to greater level.
The 3 days sporting event which is scheduled to hold from 30th of August and run till 1st of September, 2019 at the Mobolaji Johnson Indoor sports hall Rowe-Park, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos will see young players within Lagos metropolis coming to wrestle with each other for supremacy.
In a press release made available to newsmen yesterday, the Publisher and the organizer of the sporting event, Mr Sheriff Owolabi Bada revealed that the move became necessary to bring out more budding talents which will not only reduce the issue of social vices that has plagued the community in the recent times but will also bring fame and fortune to the players, the community, state and the country at large.
He adds “There’s no doubt about the fact that we still have the likes of Segun Toriola, Aruna Quadri, Funke Oshonaike, Jide Omotayo, Ahmed Adeleye, Sunday Odukoya waiting to be discovered and we’re up to the task as an entity. Don’t also forget that some of these players are ageing and needs to be replaced. he stated
“Let me also bring it to your awareness that history has that Somolu community has produced table tennis players more than any local government in the country and we’re glad about that and this record we plan to maintain and sustain the tempo for many years to come”.
“Even at the present moment, 70% of men’s national table tennis players are from Somolu. All these are great achievement to us in the community”. he opined
Meanwhile, It’s no longer a surprise that national table tennis team has represented Nigeria at the Olympic games more than any other sports put together. While Funke Oshonaike will be attending for the sixth times, Segun Toriola will be representing the nation for the eighth times. A record no African country except Nigeria can boast of.
Even, in the whole world, no European or Asian player in the men’s category match Segun Toriola”s record if he eventually made it to 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He will be making such a remarkable feat as an African player and second Ping-Pong personality behind China women’s table tennis legend, Wang Nan in the history ping-pong.
In conclusion, the media icon made a passionate plea to elites and corporate organisations in the country to give same supports and attention they give to football to table tennis and other sports in order for one not to grow and develop at the detriment of others.
