ITTF Africa Cup: 23 jostle for Team Nigeria shirts

Ahead of the forthcoming ITTF Africa Cup taking place in Lagos between May 26 and  28, 23 players made up of 13 men and 12 women are slugging it out at the National Stadium in order to be part of the Team Nigeria contingent for the continental elite tournament.

Under the supervision of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) led by the national coach Nosiru Bello, the players drawn across the country based on their previous performance are expected to conclude the trials today to decide the home-based players that will join the foreign-based to represent Nigeria at the three-day tournament.

Apart from making the Team Nigeria squad for ITTF Africa Cup, the selected players will also represent Nigeria at the Western Region World Championships qualification which would precede the ITTF Africa Cup on May 19 to 21 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

According to NTTF President, Ishaku Tikon, the essence of the exercise was to select the best hands for the country that will team up with the likes of Quadri Aruna, Olajide Omotayo, and Offiong Edem.

“We are so excited with the quality we have seen in the last two days from the men but we are still not satisfied with the women because we need to raise our standard in the women’s division,” Tikon said. “The men are ready and the majority of them are qualified to be part of the team but we cannot pick everybody as only the best would be part of the team.

“We hope that by tomorrow (today) we would have seen the best and these are the set of players that will form Team Nigeria contingent for the three tournaments taking place next month,” Tikon added.

TheNation/Nnenna.O