5th February, 2015
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)/Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) has described the demise of Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas as a shock to stakeholders of the game on the continent and a setback for the sport.
The ATTF Executive Vice-President and ITTF board member, Olabanji Oladapo, said: “The death of Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas was shocking and unexpected by the Table Tennis Community in Africa. Chief Okoya-Thomas is gone but his good deeds will survive him forever.
He was a human monument, philanthropist, and father-of-all in sports particularly Table Tennis in which he was a colossus and great sponsor. The demise of the longest sponsor of Table Tennis in Nigeria and Africa will have far reaching effects on youth development in Nigeria and Africa,” he said.
The ATTF official added that the annual Asoju Oba Cup has become a platform to groom future stars for Nigeria with most of them making the continent proud. He added: “His yearly sponsorships of Asoju Oba Table Tennis Competition for more than 40 years was the bedrock of Nigeria’s near invincibility in Table Tennis in Africa for more than four decades.
“The competition has produced renowned Nigerian and African Champions like Babatunde Obisanya, Atanda Musa, Segun Toriola, Bose Kaffo, Funke Oshonaike and a host of others. He will be sorely missed by all- athletes, technical officials and administrators in the continent,” Oladapo added.