“Senator Abiru Mixed Team Table Tennis Championship to Unveil New Stars” – Sports – The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

Nigeria’s efforts to find replacements for tennis stars like Haruna Quadri, Funke Oshonaike and the rest will get a boost as the primary Senator Abiru Mixed Team Tennis Championship kicked off yesterday.

African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) President Enitan Oshodi, who disclosed this at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, highlighted the role of the tournament in unearthing new talent and familiarizing players with the new tournament format in Africa . .

Teams from Togo, Benin Republic and other neighboring countries compete against 26 Nigerian teams in the championship.

Speaking at the unveiling of the event on Wednesday, Oshodi, an Executive Vice President at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), commended Senator Abiru for supporting table tennis and encouraged other Nigerians to empower the youth through the sport.

Sponsored by SAIL Empowerment Foundation, an initiative of Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru and his wife, Feyisola, the championship is the first Mixed Team Table Tennis Championship in Africa. It is part of the Foundation’s youth empowerment program.

Represented at the unveiling of the program by his Press Assistant, Enitan Olukotun, Senator Abiru highlighted the significance of the tournament thus: “Today’s event marks another milestone in the history of professional table tennis tournaments in Nigeria. We are making history and leading the way with this first mixed table tennis championship ever held in Africa.”

The senator commended the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) for its efforts in making the tournament a reality and reaffirmed the commitment of the SAIL Empowerment Foundation to the empowerment of the youth through such events.

Speaking on the significance of the championship, the Managing Director of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu, expressed pride that Lagos is hosting the first mixed team tournament in Africa, which he said reinforces the city’s status as a sports hub top on the continent.
“We are delighted that Lagos continues to pioneer more sporting events. With this mixed team tournament, we have shown that we are a top sports city in Africa,” he said.

The tournament will include 28 teams, divided into eight groups of three or four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. The finals are scheduled for tomorrow, starting at 14.00