Affiliation
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, July 19, 2018 (NAN) The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) says that payment of updated affiliation fees will be a major condition to be met by its affiliated associations that want to participate in its forthcoming national junior league.
Labo Adeosun, the Assistant-Secretary of NTTF, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos that the associations were expected to comply with the directive before the competition serves-off.
NAN reports that the NTTF organised league will hold from July 27 to Aug. 4 at the national training centre, National Stadium and the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Adeosun said that the body would endorse participation of players that had been dully registered by their state associations, and clubs that had equally updated their memberships with the NTTF.
“The preparation is in progress for a hitch-free tournament.
“But most importantly, the affiliated associations must meet the requirements for participation, which is fundamental and must be adhered to.
“We are emphasizing on the payment of the affiliation fees as part of awareness that needed to be created for this league.
“We are serious about it and athletes’ participation will be determined by their states or clubs’ affiliation compliance.
“Registered players are expected to have identity cards of their state associations or clubs they belong to, which they will present during the screening, ‘’she said.
She stressed that the league was crucial, as it would serve as a proper platform to discover budding talents that would gradually replace ageing players.
“The league is one of our compulsory annual activities and it has effectively enhanced the growth of the game, whereby talents had been identified in the past and I believe more will be discovered,” Adeosun added.
She also said that the league was an elite tournament that would herald the upcoming Africa International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Nigeria Open, holding in August in Lagos.
The assistant secretary told NAN that qualifying matches would hold at the national stadium, while the grand finale of the top 16 players in the boys and girls events would hold at the Teslim Balogun Stadium. (NAN)
MIL/ERO/PAD
============
Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Peter Dada