African Table Tennis Federation Gives Lagos Govt Award Of Commendation

African Table Tennis Federation president, Khaled El-Salhy (left) presents the award to Dr Tandoh, Executive Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, who is receiving it on behalf of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu

The Government of Lagos State has received an award from the governing body of table tennis in Africa, the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) for the unflinching support to the development of the game in Nigeria.

President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) Khaled El-Salhy gave the award to the Lagos State Government at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos during the finals of the 2019 ITTF Africa Cup on Monday.

The award was received on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu by the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr. Kweku Tandoh.

The game of table tennis has witnessed a good support from the Lagos State Government especially since the administration of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola who started the Lagos Open International Table Tennis Classics when Mr. Wahid Enitan Oshodi was the Commissioner for Sports.

The Classics transformed to ITTF Seamaster Challenge Nigeria Open. The popularity and success of the tournament, which has seen top table tennis players across Africa converging in the city of Lagos, propelled the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) to upgrade the event to a Challenger Plus status starting from the 6th edition which holds from 7-11 August, 2019.

The ITTF Nigeria Open Challenge Plus is Africa’s elite table tennis tournament.

One of the icons of sports administration in the state, who incidentally is the Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr Kweku Tandoh was appointed the Tournament Director of the competition for last year’s edition, an appointment which was renewed again for this year’s event.

The Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the tournament has been Mr. Wahid Enitan Oshodi, the former Sports Commissioner in the State, who had also been a former President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF). He is currently the ITTF Africa Vice- President Western Region.

This year’s event is holding inside the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium from 7th to 11th August.