Nigerian Olympian Offiong Edem Makes a Passionate Call for Table Tennis League
By Emmanuel Sixtus
Offiong Edem, who has been to Olympic five times and one of Nigeria’s most decorated table tennis players, has made a passionate call for TableTenis League to be established in Nigeria.
The call is made as part of ongoing efforts championed by her to promote and develop the sport within the country, emphasizing the need for structured competitions to develop talent. And above all, to give Table Tenis the needed exposure to excel.
The call aims to put Nigeria in the running for Table Tennis success. Nigeria continues to trail others in Table Tennis competition in the world.
In a press conference in Lagos, Edem touched the need for the Tennis league to be given priority attention, to encourage involvement of Nigerian youths. She noted that in Nigeria, Table Tennis is not attractive enough to take be taken up by Nigerians.
“A national table tennis league would not only enhance the skills of our players but also bring more attention to the sport, encouraging younger generations to take it up,” she said.
Her call is in line for the diversification of sports in the country. Less known sports appear to dwindle with time, which forces concentration on known sports alone.
Her call has been well structured to reflect the fundamental need of basics. Her proposed structure involves a merit based format, from regional to national.
The move will also include feeders, where talents can be discovered and nurtured. According to her, such format will increase involvement and prove talents with the essential exposure and training to excel.
The commitments from the grassroots will then endear talents and make room for Nigerians to embrace the sports.
Benefit
Reforming and rebranding Table Tennis will give players the consistency needed to triumph in the sports. It would aid players to reach greater height and prepare them for the world statge.
The poor outings by Team Nigeria in Table Tennis sports has been down to poor preparation and lack of national league where players could compete at highest level before going international to play for the country.
Talents also get unnoticed because there is no room for exposure within the country. Lack of a competitive league also lead to talents abandoning the sports for something more competitive.
Edem also noted that countries that perform well international have national leagues in the sports“Countries like China, Japan, and Germany have strong domestic leagues that support their international dominance. Nigeria needs to follow suit if we are to compete on the world stage,” she revealed.
Her idea is considered brilliant and has been welcomed by most sports communities in the country.
Coaches and former players have shown their support, which it’s on record they have also voiced same concern for the sports.
Chief Coach of the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Bello Nosiru, supported the idea “A national league will help us maintain a steady pool of top-quality players who are match-ready at all times. It will also attract sponsors and boost the sport’s popularity,” he noted.
His view is in line with the view of the player, whose main focus and demands are mainly aimed at improving the sports and establishing top talents from the country.
Challenges
It’s one thing to bring up a good idea but another to implement it. While the idea is largely supported by the sports community, government has not shown significant or real interest in keying into the idea.
To fund the sports must go through legislation, and the government could see it as not a necessity, thereby leading to the death of the idea.
Sponsorship is key aspect of the implementation of the idea, but the sports is not widely appreciated in the country, which might be a stumbling block for the national league aspiration.
“We need a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to make this dream a reality. With determination and support, we can elevate Nigerian table tennis to new heights,” she stated, with the knowledge that the journey won’t be easy.
