Africa Para Table Tennis Championships: NTTF official confirms team Nigeria departure

Departure

By Kemi Ajayi
Lagos, June 28, 2019 (NAN) James Eakyns, Secretary of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), has confirmed the departure of Team Nigeria to Africa Para Table Tennis (PTT) Championships holding in Alexandria, Egypt from June 30 to July 2.

Eakyns told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos that the 18-man contingent led by Anderson Bankole, an NTTF board member, departed the country on Thursday abord Turkish airline.

He said the championships which would feature players from Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Cote’ d’Ivoire and Nigeria would serve as continental qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games billed for Japan.

“The championships are starting on Sunday, and it is necessary for our players to settle down and acclamatise with the weather which prompted the team’s departure yesterday night with Turkish airline.

“The squad is led by Bankole, our key board member, eight players, two coaches, four helpers, one medical personnel, and the team secretary and they have arrived safely in Egypt, I just spoke with them this morning.

“This championship is very crucial to our players because it will create opportunity for them to amass points to raise their ranking needed for their qualifications for Tokyo Paralympic Games next year,” he said.

The NTTF scribe gave the names of the players that would compete in 10 classes as  Sure Nasiru, Agunbiade Tajudeen, Olufemi Alabi-Olabiyi, Farinloye Victor-Adeniyi, Koleosho Ahmes-Owolabi, Odebode Sunday.

Others are Faith Obazuaye, Obiora Faith-Chineye, Popoola Surakat-Ayoola, Amadikwa Edna-Uchechi, Bankole-Anderson Abiodun and Adefeso-Oluwakemi Theresa.

“These players will compete in their various classes and most of them are experienced and have much exposure in international para-division tournament, so they are good to go,” Eakyns said.

He added that the players were in top form and expressed confidence in their chances to acquire the needed points to boost their ranking towards picking up the Tokyo 2020 Parympic Games ticket. (NAN)
KOA/DE/PDE
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(Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Peter Ejiofor)