NAN-S-9
Tennis
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, March 7, 2018 (NAN) An international table tennis umpire, Ranti Lajide, on Wednesday advised the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and the state associations to scout for budding talents to improve the game.
Lajide gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to him, the means of improving the standard of table tennis is within the nation’s reach.
“What is required is to exclusively give the needed attention to our upcoming players across the nation.
“The national body and state associations should have more of cadet and junior championships where the various categories of players dwell.
“At the level of championships, it is to quench the appetite of upcoming players who want to exhibit their talents and seek to build a career in the sport,’’ he said.
The umpire restated that table tennis was a widely accepted sport among youths across the country, adding that it was vital to help them to achieve their dreams.
He said that on the streets, children gather themselves, put up makeshift table tennis boards with plywood and play to the admiration of all.
“It’s time these children are absorbed into the system so that they can be tutored as they are still young,’’ he added.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) umpire appealed to fans to collaborate with the NTF and state associations by donating kits to make the game one of greatest sports in the country.
Lajide applauded some foreign-based players who identified with upcoming players by providing bats, rubber, balls and jerseys to them to keep their dreams alive. (NAN)
MIL/JI/PDE
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(Editing by Joseph Idika/Peter Ejiofor)