The South-South representative on the Board of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Mr. Ama-Ebi Ebikpolade, has donated two International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) standard boards worth about N10 million to Cross River.
He said that Cross River is an important state in Nigerian table tennis because the state has talented players like Offiong Edem, who won Nigeria’s first gold medal at the recently concluded All-Africa Games and Hope Udoaka, who also represented Nigeria at the games.
While handing over the boards to the Cross River Table Tennis Federation in Calabar on Tuesday, Ebikpolade also promised to upgrade court floors in the state, noting that what is currently available does not meet international standards.
Ebikpolade, who is also the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Table Tennis Federation, said the sport did not receive much attention in Nigeria, adding that the gesture was a conscious intervention to ensure that cadet players of the sports were groomed, noting that similar donations have been sent to other South-South states to step up their game.
“We want to develop table tennis in Nigeria, to do this, the first thing that comes to mind is the facilities, when there are no facilities we cannot talk about development.
“As a federation, we are trying to ensure that younger players take over from the older ones who have served the nation by providing equipment and scholarship for some talented cadet players both at home and abroad Nigeria.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the state, Cross River State Commissioner for Sports, Mrs Agnes Atsu, said she was very delighted for the facilities. Calling on well-meaning Nigerians to support sports in the state, she added that these facilities would help develop sports in Cross River.
On his part, Mr Usen Umoh, Vice Chairman of the Cross River Table Tennis Federation who lauded the South-South representative of the sports, said the equipment would help the state produce more talents in the game.
Expressing delight, Mr. Usen Umoh, vice president of the Cross River Table Tennis Federation, praised the South-South sports official, emphasizing that the equipment would help the state produce more talent in the sport.
According to him, “at this critical time in the nation, the only thing that can get the youths busy is sporting activities.
“I want to make a passionate appeal to the organized private sector and every Nigerian to support the sport because government alone cannot handle it,” Umoh said.