NTTF stakes N4.5m on National Championships

By Our Reporter

THE Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has staked N4.5m for the 2021 National Championships taking place on May 18 to 22 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

According to the breakdown of prize money for the five-day tournament, winners in men and women singles events will earn N250,000 each while U-21 and cadet champions carting N100,000 and N50,000 respectively.

Winners in team and doubles events will get N200,000 and N100,000 respectively while quarterfinalists in each event will earn a minimum of N50,000 each.

Also, national technical crew will be present to identify talents that will be invited to national camp in junior and senior categories.

12 events will be contested for by the players in the cadet, U-21, men, women and veteran divisions.

Already, winners of the singles events of the just concluded Aso Championship Azeez Solanke and Fatimo Bello have vowed to continue their dominance at national levels.

“We are coming to Lagos to give our very best again because I must remain on top of my game as there are no pushovers in the game again. Everybody wants to become champion but it is a bit tougher to remain on top,” said Bello who claimed the singles title in Abuja and the 2020 National Sports Festival in Benin City.

Meanwhile, the referee of the tournament John Peters has predicted a tough duel in Lagos considering what happened in Abuja.

 “I must tell you that new players are emerging especially at junior level as players from Kwara and Ogun are on top of their game and they are ready to dethrone former champions. I am hopeful that it will be explosive in Lagos as more players have confirmed their intention to be part of the show in Lagos,” Peters said.