NAN-S-5
Championships
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, Dec. 14, 2017 (NAN) Nasiru Bello, National Coach, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), on Thursday advised home-based players to be on top of their game in the ongoing 2017 National Table Tennis Championships.
Bello told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the NTTF Championships was also the 2018 Commonwealth Games Selection Trials.
He said that the objective of the championships was to test competence and therefore, players must live up to expectations to be selected.
NAN reports that the NTTF dual organised championships were taking place at the National Stadium, Lagos, from Wednesday, Dec. 13 to Dec. 16.
Bello said that 347 players were featuring in both, including the Able bodied and Para-class categories.
“These are very serious championships that will be used to source for determined players and in that manner; every player must come out in his best form and techniques.
“Thank God for the platform created by the NTTF few months back when the ITTF Nigeria Open was held in Lagos, where most players gained good exposure.
“They need to bring their talents, training and skills to bear because the umpires are also objective in ensuring that the target of getting the best is achieved,’’ Bello said.
The coach said that the championship holding simultaneously at the National Stadium’s Knock-Up Hall and Indoor Sports Hall was featuring four events for the able-bodied and eight events for the para-class.
According to him, the events for the able bodied are junior boys, junior girls, men’s singles and women singles, while the para category are men’s single 1-3, women singles 1-3.
Others, Bello added, are men’s singles 4-5, women singles 4-5, men’s singles 6-8, women’s singles 6-8, men’s singles 9-10 and women’s singles 9-10 respectively.
The coach said that he was impressed with the large turnout of players from across the country for the championships supported by the NTTF and its friends. (NAN)
MIL/COF/PDE
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(Edited by Oluyinka Fadare/Peter Ejiofor)