As the 2024 World Table Tennis Contender Series serves off, the DG LSSC, Lekan Fatodu, has reiterated the commitment of the state in sports development and its readiness to other major activities that will improve the performance of athletes.
He made the statement at the press conference heralding the 2024 WTT Contender Lagos held at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall,Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere, Lagos,Nigeria.
“As a state, we are ever ready for this kind of sporting spectacle as our homegrown and budding players like Muiz Adegoke and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai are already warming up for the world event taking place right here in our enchanting state.
“Our indefatigable Gov.Sanwo-Olu has been demonstrating unwavering support in sporting infrastructure, as a state we are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to the development of sports, encouragement of talents and other activities that will give room for athletes to be exposed to international championship of this magnitude”.
Speaking further, he said Lagos will continue to advance the development of sports in the state,and the 400 ITTF world ranking points Table Tennis championships serves as an avenue for local players to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany among top players bound to feature in the tourney.
Fatodu also highlighted that Lagos is a pacesetter in the sports and infrastructure development, saying hosting another world championship in the commercial nerve centre is not only putting the state on the world map but it also create an avenue for the future stars and budding talents to watch out for super stars as they set for intense competition.
“This is Lagos and we are open to subsequent major tournaments as we are ever ready to host the world in our facilities and also with our budding players who are ready to engage and interact with the world”.
Vice President ITTF and former Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Enitan Oshodi pointed out that the most important people at the players, stating that despite the economic situation all over the world they still made their presence count in Lagos.
He said exciting top players in the world playing in different styles from Korea, China, Germany, India among other countries were also in the race for the WTT Contender Lagos series.
Oshodi also acknowledged the performances of the Nigerian budding players including Mathew Kuti who have dominated the West Africa in the ping pong game.
Director of event and Chief Operating Officer, ITTF-Africa, Dr. Kweku Tandoh posited that it is another opportunity to showcase the template that have been developed over the last 13 years.
“We started in 2013 as Lagos international Table Tennis classics that runs for about two years. The ITTF recognized and approved the event and it became Nigeria Open that ran for another five years. We were able to get to this level WTT Contender Series, which is the highest event sanctioned by the ITTF “.
While speaking further on the significance of the event to the capacity building of sports officers and administrators, Tandoh said it would effectively improve their knowledge in the areas of event planning and management.
