Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has inaugurated three new sets of Olympic Standard Table Tennis boards worth over two million naira for Kwara State Sports Council.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the table tennis boards were donated by the Chairman of the Kwara Table Tennis Association, Mr. Shola Owolabi.
The governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Sports Matters, Malam Attairu Ibrahim, said that government cannot do it alone and called for support from well-meaning Nigerians to help develop sporting activities in the state.
He commended Owolabi for the gesture which, he said, would complement the efforts of government in repositioning sports in the state.
Speaking at the inauguration of the equipment at the Table Tennis section of Kwara Indoor Sports Hall, Owolabi said he acquired the Olympic standard materials to improve the performance of the players.
Owolabi added that the equipment were also donated in place of his annual birthday championship and expressed optimism that it would galvanize the players to achieve more laurels for the state.
Alarape Atanda, the state Director of Sports, said the the gesture restored hope for the hopeless, noting that the new tennis boards would bring the players in tune with the latest aspects of the game.
Former president of Table Tennis Federation of Nigeria and former Chairman of Kwara State Table Tennis Association, Abdulwahab Omotose, urged government to invest more in other sports with a view to exploring opportunities that abound in them.
Also speaking at the occasion, Coach Bola Magaji, a former Squash Racket Federation Vice Chairman and Oba Abdulrazaq Abioye, the Olukotun of Ikotun, appealed to the government to place premium on school sports to discover more talents.
NAN recalls that Kwara Para-Table Tennis contingent came third on the overall medal table of the just concluded Valuejet International Para-Table Championship in Lagos with one gold, one silver and seven bronze medals.
The new equipment were also savoured with exhibition games amongst the guests and players with delight. (NAN)
