Atanda Musa pledges table tennis devt

Nigerian table tennis icon, Atanda Musa, has reaffirmed his commitment to revitalising the sport in Nigeria following the success of his maiden National Cadet Invitational Championships.

The former Commonwealth champions, who sponsored the two-day tournament in Lagos, expressed satisfaction with the quality of play by the participants, promising to make the tournament an annual event on the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation calendar.

The top 16 boys and 16 girls from the fifth Efunkoya Cadet Championships were invited to the championship hosted by the Lagos Country Club.

Faruq Hussein of Kwara State demonstrated why he remains the top cadet boys’ champion in the country by winning the maiden title, just three days after claiming the Efunkoya title.

Hussein rallied from behind to defeat Abdulahamid Adebayo of Lagos 3-1 (4-11, 13-11, 11-3, 12-10).

In the girls’ category, Khadijat Musa of Osun worked hard to beat Funmilayo Ojo of Ondo 3-1 and emerge as the girls’ champion.

Several former table tennis players attended the event, including two-time African champion Kasali Lasisi and Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho.

“I am impressed with the competition because the players showcased exceptional talent. They need further development to compete favourably with their international counterparts. This is my way of giving back to society, and I urge my former colleagues to join me in reviving the sport that shaped our lives. We cannot ignore the call to elevate table tennis in the country. I promise this tournament will become an annual event to unearth and support new talents, aiding the NTTF in their efforts.”

Omotosho praised Musa for his initiative, expressing optimism that such efforts would help find immediate replacements for the ageing players in the national teams.

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