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ITTF West African championship begins in Lagos
The second edition of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Western Region Championship would get underway on Monday, November 1, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The host, Nigeria, will slug it out with Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin Republic, Togo, and Liberia at the four-day championship.
The chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) Sola Aiyepeku, said Lagos was ready to host the tournament, but in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
“We will do everything to show our visitors ‘This is Lagos’ by ensuring you enjoy your stay in Lagos and partake in an exciting hitch-free tournament.
“More importantly, creating a veritable platform for our players in Africa to demonstrate and improve their skills will go a long way to continue identifying, promoting, and preparing them for future competitions, beyond the continent,”Mr Aiyepeku said.
According to the Secretary-General, ITTF Africa Western Region, Germain Karou, all was set for the championship as teams had all arrived while the venue was also set for the epic tournament that would mark the return of competitive action in the region.
The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) also said that the stage was set as Nigeria named junior tennis sensation, Samuel Boboye alongside Azeez Solanke, to spearhead Nigeria’s charge at the championship.
It added that the national female champion, Fatimo Bello, will similarly lead the women’s team at the tournament.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the men’s singles defending champion, Oba Kizito, has flown in from Paris, to defend his title, while Ms Bello will also seek to ward off challenges from Ghana and others, in her quest to hold on to her Women’s singles title.
