…Gov Diri Promises to Make Tournament Annual Event
From Kenechukwu Obiajuru, Yenagoa
Adegoke Muiz of Lagos has been crowned champions of the 1st Governor Douye Diri Top-16 National Table Tennis Championship held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital after two days of exciting table tennis action.
Adegoke Muiz beat favourite Matthew Kuti 4-0 to clinch the ultimate prize. Muiz defeated Kuti 11-8, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 in what could be described as the battle of Lagos while Samuel Boboye of Bayelsa and Abdulfatai Abdulbasit finished third respectively in the competition.
Ojomu Ajoke of Jenz Ice Cream Club of Abuja in the women’s category beat Hope Udoaka of Bayelsa 4-2 to triumph in the championship to display her supremacy. Ajoke defeated her Bayelsa counterpart 12-10, 3-11, 8-11, 11-5, 3-11.
Declaring the tournament closed, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, represented by the Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr. Daniel Igali, said the government is proud of the contributions of Mr. Ama-ebi Stow.
He noted that Mr Stow’s efforts for the development of table tennis was crucial to Bayelsa’s brilliant outing in the last National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, maintaining that the beautiful facility named Fortress has revitalized the fortunes of table tennis in Bayelsa.
The helmsman stressed that he was elated to hear that the top 16 showpiece is being hosted in the South South for the first time, pointing out that the championship would be an annual event that would bring the best of table tennis stars to Bayelsa.
President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Dr. Adesoji Tayo in a remark, asserted that Bayelsa has closed the gap in table tennis between Lagos, Ogun and Oyo State, saying that Bayelsa is now the state to contend with in table tennis in the country having dominated in Abeokuta.
Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, RT Hon Abraham Ingobere represented by the chairman of the Committee on Sports, Barr Tare Porri in an address, remarked that Ama-ebi’s continuous passion for the development of table tennis has positively engaged the youths in the State.
Earlier in an address, Patron of the Bayelsa State Table Tennis Association and Founder Royal House of Grace International, Apostle Zilly Aggrey, said he is happy with the progress of table tennis in the country, expressing confidence that Bayelsa-born players will soon
compete favourably with their peers at the world stage.
Also, Chairman of Bayelsa State Table Tennis Association and Technical Adviser to the governor on Sports (Table Tennis), Mr Ama-ebi Ebikpolade Stow in an interview, opined that Nigeria was due for a table tennis league in order for the players to be in good condition.
