Nigeria Open: Oshodi Commends Support From Ambode, Adebutu, Looks Forward To A Greater Future

Wahid Oshodi, LOC boss of Nigeria Open 

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Seamaster Nigeria Open, Mr Wahid Enitan Oshodi has expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode for the enormous support the tournament has been getting from the state in the last six years.

This year’s Nigeria Open will be held from 9-13 August inside Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.

Oshodi, former Commissioner for Sports in Lagos state during the administration of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola said Ambode provided enabling environment for the annual staging of the Nigeria Open which has attracted good numbers of foreigners to Lagos State since inception. He also extended his appreciation to the tournament’s numerous sponsors and the media.

He said: “A lot of thanks must go to our sponsors across different categories. Most importantly the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) continues to receive the support of the Lagos State Government and for this we say a big thank you to His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State and his sports team in particular. The infrastructure support is crucial to the hosting of the event and the human resources, which they devote to the event makes our work easier.

“The support of Chief Kessington Adebutu – Chairman Baba Ijebu Sports Bet has seen this event grow to a super world class event. A host of private sector partners have fully adopted this event as their own and it continues to enhance the narrative of Lagos as a major sports tourism destination in Africa.

“The President NTTF, Engr Ishaku Tikon has also shown his full commitment to ensuring the continuity and growth of the event along with other NTTF events. Importantly the ITTF and their World Tour Sponsor -Seamaster Group have also recognised the part this event plays in the development of table tennis talents in Africa as it gives our African players the chance to compete with the best players in the world right here on the continent before their fans.

“The excitement that surrounds the event continues to attract the top players. The atmosphere created by the fans is different from any other event in the table tennis world. Drumming, clapping, singing and supporting the players non-stop encouraged these players to put in excellent performance. Word of mouth in the table tennis world is that Lagos is the place to be. Our event and all the accompanying razzmatazz is the face of modern table tennis. The Nigeria Open does sports and entertainment in the right balance. Our international and local partners are indeed true partners in all sense of the word. Without them we could not put this event on. ”

To Oshodi, who was former President of the NTTF and the current chairman of the ITTF Nomination Committee, the tournament has lifted the fortune of the sport in the continent and the future remains bright for the competition which has continued to gain recognition across the world.

“We benchmark ourselves against world standards in sports. For me, it is critical that we must only look at events like Wimbledon, the French Open etc as models for where we are heading. There is no reason we can’t meet those standards at least in terms of organization, presentation etc. Even if our facilities are not of those standards we must always ask ourselves, are we doing the best with what we have got? It is a lot of hard work and creativity. Many people working hard and volunteering their time to ensure that we produce the best we can. The massive support the media gives in covering our events. Right from Supersport’s live coverage and all our other TV, radio and newspaper coverage, the NTTF is really grateful for the coverage and support we receive across board. From year to year we keep on seeking ways to improve the event.

Expectations for 2018 edition, Oshodi added: “More top quality performances. Greater attention to details in meeting ITTF standards. This year we expect the largest number of top 100 players across both male and female categories. The enquiries we have been receiving even before the tournament prospectus was released tells us to expect a bumper event. We shall also be kicking off the event this year by also hosting the National Junior League and the ITTF Africa (Western Region) Singles Championships to usher in the Nigeria Open. So we whet the fans appetites with the best of junior table tennis and this also helps to prepare our young players for the U-21 event of the Nigeria Open. It will be three exciting weeks of table tennis.

“We started this tournament as a way of developing our young players by bringing the best players in the world to come to Nigeria to play against our players and give our players an opportunity to learn from the best. The quality of our top players now tells us that this method has been successful. But we need to work harder so we can develop a large pool of male and especially female players who can now go on and conquer Africa and the world. It continues to grow beyond our wildest dreams.”