‘Table Tennis League’ll Help Our Sports Festival Build Up’

Ping pong players in Lagos State have said that the ongoing Table Tennis League has boosted their preparation for the National Sports Festival, which the state will hold in November this year.

Players of the Union Bank Sports Club said that the league, which enters Week 5 tomorrow, has served as a good preparatory ground for them ahead of the Sports Festival. Like Oliver Twist, the players called on the authorities to stage more of such competitions to help improve their skills.

Shola Oyetayo said staging of the league would surely help the players and most importantly the Lagos team for the National Sports Festival.

Oyetayo said: “Personally this competition is timely and I am happy to be part of the championship because it would give me the opportunity to be fit and I am happy to say that every week I am able to learn and gain a lot from this competition. It will also prepare me well for the sports festival and I believe that with proper training the Lagos team will record success.”

Another player, Bolaji Asekun of J30, lauded the organisers of the league, saying: “I give kudos to the organisers and the sponsor of this competition and I am happy to say that so far, my assessment of this championship is excellent. I love table tennis and my ambition is to become a national champion.”

He added: “There is no doubt that the competition will make me fit for the challenges at the sports festival  and I’m  very sure Lagos will dominate table tennis event at the festival if the performance of the players in the ongoing league is anything to go by.”

For the captain of  Springfresh Club, Ayo Omotara, winning four gold medals at the 18th National Sports Festival remains his top priority, as the league would put him in good shape for the festival.

Omotara, whose father was a former national champion,, said taking part in the league has indeed improved his confidence. “I am participating in this competition to improve myself and I see it as a privilege playing with other table tennis players from renowned Union Bank Club,” he said.

—Taiwo Adelu