Koleosho competing at last year’s edition in Lagos.
The second edition of the annual Valuejet Para Table
Tennis Open will serve off on Saturday, December 19 at the Molade
Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Hundreds of players across the country are already in Lagos for
the three-day championship organized by Sunday Odebode Foundation
in collaboration with the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation
(NTTF).
The organizers appreciate the support of the sponsor and hope
private organisations will emulate the move and provide more
support for the development of special sports in the country.
With some of the Paralympians expected to represent Nigeria at
Tokyo Paralympic Games already in camp, players outside Lagos have
started arriving for the end-of-year championship being the only
tournament for para table tennis this year following the COVID-19
pandemic.
According to the coordinator of the tournament Sunday Odebode,
this year’s edition would be staged nationally with players aiming
to be part of the national team eager to be part of the
competition.
“Due to COVID-19, we will be staging this year nationally with
the hope that new players would emerge this year. There is interest
from other African countries to be part of this year’s event but
the closure of the border coupled with other factors would not
allow them to make it to Nigeria. But we will ensure that we follow
the laid-down COVID-19 protocol during the tournament while the
social distance would also be maintained,” he said.
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Odebode however, said that the tournament is expected to help
the players to shape up for the 2021 National Sports Festival
holding in Benin City, the Edo State capital while Tokyo-bound
Paralympians would also use the tournament as a warm-up to the
biggest sporting event in Japan.
He added that 44 events would be competed for by the players
while cash prizes would be doled out to the outstanding
athletes.
Among the Tokyo-bound Paralympians expected to compete include
Isau Ogunkunle and Commonwealth Games silver medalists Faith
Obazuaye.
Sydney 2000 Paralympics gold medalists – Tajudeen Agunbiade and
Olufemi Alabi will also compete at the tournament.
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/12/15/para-table-tennis-open-to-serve-off-dec-19/