Maiden Somolu U-15 Table Tennis Championship To Hold At Rowe Park, Yaba

A Lagos-based community newspaper, Somolu Newspaper in conjunction with Badallion Communications have set aside three days for catch them young table tennis championship tagged “Somolu Under-15 Table Tennis Championship, aimed at discovering and nurturing talented table tennis players to greater level.

The three days sporting event, which is scheduled to hold from 30 August and run till 1 September, 2019 at the Mobolaji Johnson Indoor sports hall Rowe-Park, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos will see young players within Lagos metropolis coming to fight for honours.

The Publisher of Somolu newspaper, who is the chief organiser of the sporting event, Mr Sheriff Owolabi Bada revealed that the move became necessary to bring out more budding talent to not only reduce the issue of social vices that has plagued the community in the recent times, but will also bring fame and fortune to the players, the community, state and the country at large.

He adds:  “There’s no doubt about the fact that we still have the likes of Segun Toriola, Aruna Quadri, Funke Oshonaike, Jide Omotayo, Ahmed Adeleye, Sunday Odukoya waiting to be discovered and we’re up to the task as an entity. Don’t also forget that some of these players are ageing and needs to be replaced.

“Let me also bring it to your awareness that history has that Somolu community has produced table tennis players more than any local government in the country. We’re glad about this. We plan to maintain and sustain this record for many years to come.

“Even at the present moment, 70 percent of men’s national table tennis players are from Somolu. This is great achievement to us in the community.”

Meanwhile, It’s no longer a surprise that national table tennis team has represented Nigeria at the Olympic Games more than any other sport put together. While Funke Oshonaike will be attending for the sixth times, Segun Toriola will be representing the nation for the eighth times. A record no African country except Nigeria can boast of.

Even, in the whole world, no European or Asian player in the men’s category match Segun Toriola”s record if he eventually made it to 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He will be making such a remarkable feat as an African player and second ping-pong personality behind China women’s table tennis legend, Wang Nan in the history ping-pong.

Bada made a passionate plea to elites and corporate organisations in the country to give same supports and attention they give to football to table tennis and other sports.