The South-South zonal representative on the board of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Ama-ebi Ebikpolade Stow, has attributed the lack of facilities as the reason behind the slow progress of table tennis in the zone.
Mr. Ebikpolade made this known during a live interaction in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
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He stated that when he assumed office as chairman of the Bayelsa State Table Tennis Association, he and his vice chairman, Mr. Ranani Igrubia, sat down to identify key areas for improvement and realized that the lack of facilities was a major problem affecting table tennis in the state.
According to him, the only states in Nigeria that can boast of table tennis facilities are Lagos and Cross River in the South-South, noting that table tennis was previously played on NTTF unapproved floors, but that narrative has since changed.
The NTTF zonal representative stated that his desire to construct a state-of-the-art facility for table tennis, rather than his initial plan to build a mechanic shop, is a result of the passion he has developed for the sport, adding that he has no regrets about investing significantly in the youth.
Mr. Ebikpolade explained that prior to his appointment as chairman, the majority of the coaches in the association had yet to secure their National Institute of Sports (NIS) certificates, which he described as the only recognized certification by the NTTF for someone to be a coach.
The Bayelsa State chairman further explained that the latest coach to benefit from the NIS program was Azibalua Abadi from Ogbia LGA, and that the association would not condone mediocrity but rather strive for excellence, noting that state umpires have also benefited from training exercises to become familiar with the rules.
He asserted that, apart from winning laurels for the state, the association is committed to ensuring that all athletes combine sports with education, pointing out that all athletes are currently attending one of the best private universities in the country.
Mr. Ebikpolade remarked that since his emergence as the table tennis boss, Bayelsa has closed the gap between them and other states in the nation, particularly Lagos, stressing that Bayelsa has become a force to be reckoned with in Nigeria in recent years.
He opined that the Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr. Igali, and the Director of Sports, Sir Braveman Wodi, have made things easier for the association, noting that his priority at the moment is for the athletes to represent the state well in the National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
Additionally, former Bayelsa State table tennis star Ateh Maiduguri said the new generation of players is lucky to have Ama-ebi Stow as chairman, describing them as privileged.
He hinted that in their playing days, table tennis was nearly dropped from competition outside the state due to their poor performances in tournaments, maintaining that he is elated to see the progress of the sport under Ama-ebi’s leadership.
Maiduguri urged multinational oil companies, financial institutions, and well-meaning Bayelsans to get involved in the development of sports, stating that the government cannot do it alone.
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