8th December, 2010
Sports philanthropist, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas has slammed the authorities over the dwindling fortune of Nigerian table tennis.
Okoya-Thomas said at a press conference to herald the 42nd Asoju-Oba Table Tennis Championship in Lagos yesterday that he is sad with the state of the sport in the country.
Okoya-Thomas, who has single-handedly sponsored the Asoju Oba for the last 42 years expressed disappointment over the drastic decline of the sport, saying that the government at all levels and the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, NTTF, have failed to live up to expectations in reviving the ping pong game in the country. “I am not impressed with the decline of table tennis in Nigeria,†said Okoya-Thomas, who promised that Asoju Oba will be more glamorous this year.
“Table tennis was popular during the era of Atanda Musa and Yomi Bankole. After that period, the game has witnessed a drastic downward trend. After the exit of Musa and Bankole, only Segun Toriola and a few others made it to the world limelight. It is sad that no Nigerian player, both male and female, is ranked among the top 100 in the world today,†he lamented.
Thomas-Okoya, however, urged the relevant authorities to show deep interest in table tennis, adding that Nigeria can be among the best sporting nations in the world through the sport.
Commenting on this year’s Asoju Oba tourney, Okoya-Thomas expressed happiness that entries for this year’s event has increased tremendously. He disclosed that what motivated him to continue with the sponsorship over the years is the array of great players the tournament had produced for the country. The championship, which begins on Monday, has been moved from its traditional venue, Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba to the Molade Thomas Okoya Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
—Sunday Akintoye
