Lagos table tennis boss laments players exodus

The chairman of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA), Tunji Lawal, has expressed concern over the exodus of players to other states due to a lack of support.

The trend, according to him, has seen several players from Lagos being poached by other states ahead of major national championships, depleting the number of quality athletes in Lagos.

“Most of our players are moving to other states, and we have lost many of our senior players to Ogun, Delta, and Rivers States. We need to develop new players, especially from the youth. This requires bringing in the necessary facilities to help them develop their skills. I hope we can achieve something with our ongoing efforts,” Lawal lamented.

Lagos has been a hotbed for table tennis talent, but Lawal emphasised the need for more support to help players reach their full potential.

“We have players like Matthew Kuti and Muiz Adegoke, who started from cadet competitions and are now in the national teams. We want to develop new players and test them against others across the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lawal has donated two table tennis boards, while the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu, has also donated one.

“Lagos has a lot of players, and three tables are not enough. We have to start somewhere, and I hope the Lagos State Governor will support us in developing better players,” he added.

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