The chairman of the Kogi State Table Tennis Association, Dr Shaibu Mohammed, has urged public schools to incorporate Table Tennis into inter house sports competitions for grassroots development.
Dr Mohammed, who is vying for North Central Zonal Representative in the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation, stated this during a telephone interview with Sports Journalists across Nigeria.
He said for the grassroots development, there is plans to collaborate with local governments and educational institutions to introduce table tennis in public schools by incorporating it into inter-house sports competitions.
“This will help draw attention to the sport at the grassroots level and nurture young talents. We will start by discussing with government and the educational policy makers on how we will allow public schools to introduce Table Tennis to their inter-house sports competition,” he stated.
Dr Mohammed while outlining his plans to develop the game in the North Central region, the aspirant said if elected, he will ensure accelerated infrastructural development in the region.
According to him, the dominance of the southern region in Nigerian Table Tennis can be attributed to better infrastructure and support from governments, individuals, and corporate organisations.
He further narrates his personal experience during a tour of the Northern region three years ago.
“I discovered that facilities were in a state of decay. This experience led to the birth of the yearly Shaibu D. Mohammed Table Tennis tournament in the North Central States,” he added.
“The tournament has yielded positive results, with five team members currently part of the national team, including Joshua Samuel, who qualified to represent Africa.”
“We have started paying attention to infrastructural development in the North Central region by getting willing sports enthusiasts and corporate bodies to partner with us,” Dr Mohammad noted.
He however stressed the crucial role coaches play in talent development, saying he intends to prioritise their welfare, by providing training opportunities, and allocate 40% of funding to coaches and administrators.
Dr Mohammed solicited for media support to collaborate with the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation, so as to give visibility to players to enhance their selection to the national team.