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Radio Lagos/ Eko Fm Sports Unit has been declared the winner Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, category of the second edition of Procold Lagos International Table Tennis Championship.
Its Sports Correspondent, Yinka Adebayo, defeated Lekan Okusan of Guardian Newspaper, by two straight sets in the best of three sets, 11 - 9, 11 - 6, to emerged the winner.
Adebayo, who lost to Lekan Okusan, during the maiden edition of O'Jeez Table Tennis Championship, outstroked Lukmon Ologunro of National Life Newspaper, by two straight sets to set a date with Guardian Newspaper Sports correspondent.
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The Local Organising Committee, has said it would insist on all standards set by world soccer governing body, FIFA, ahead of the forthcoming West African Football Union, W.A.F.U, Under Twenty Championship, so as to realize its goals and objectives.
Head of the LOC Technical Committee, Tijani Yusuf, explained that the host state must fulfill all FIFA requirements for the staging of world class events while Nigerians would be sensitized on the need to change from old ways and embrace FIFA rules.
Yusuf,said the comittee wants to set a benchmark with the forthcoming WAFU Under-20 Championship, in terms of organisation and delivery, stressing that the mixed zone, conference centre, referees changing rooms and medicals must not only be provided for and it must meet FIFA requirements.
He said, the seating arrangement must explicitly spell out that 50 seats must be reserved for FIFA and WAFU while only those with valid tickets would be allowed entry into the stadium.
Yusuf, a former secretary-general of the Nigeria Football Association, implored political office holders to respect laid down rules.
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NFF/MTN Lecture Holds On Thursday.
The second edition of the International Media Lecture organized by the Nigeria Football Federation and sponsorship by MTN Ccommunications will this Thursday, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The theme of this year¢s lecture is: Enhancing the Brand Values of Nigeria Football. Chairperson of the Media Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Aisha Falode said Simon Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer of the England 2018 World Cup Bid Committee, would deliver a paper.
While Mike Itemuagbor, who is Chairman of Pamodzi and a renown marketing guru, would present a paper titled ¡Football Sponsorship in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects', just as Johnson will speak on ¡Enhancing the Brand Values of Nigeria Football.
According to her, the stage is set for the Lecture as Mr Johnson and his team, which also includes people from The Football Association in England, are due to arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday.
The first edition of the NFF/MTN International Media Lecture took place in Lagos in June 2007.
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NFF Likely To Pardon Alphonsus Dike.
More facts are beginning to unfold as to why the Nigeria Football Federation, N.F.F, would not sack the Golden Eaglets' Chief Coach, Alphonsus Dike and his technical crew members, Manu Garba and Yisa Shofoluwe.
Our Correspondent, gathered that some NFF big wigs believe that the move to relieve Alphonsus Dike and his assistant coaches would be counter productive to the country's preparations and defence of the title during the Nigeria 2009 FIFA Under Seventeen World Cup.
According to the staunch members of the Federation, the Eaglets technical crew members performed the task in accordant to the NFF 's specification which is to scout for players within the Under Seventeen age range for the new Eaglets team since it was believed in some quarters that their predecessors that won the championship in South Korea were old players.
But some pro Dike board members pleaded that the technical crew should be allow to continue with the mandate given to them to prepare a formidable team that will pose a great challenge during the FIFA Under Seventeen World Cup that will be hosted in the country.
It was also pointed out that Dike deserves to be given a second chance since Joseph Ladipo who also flopped in the Olympics got their blessing to lead the Super Falcons to the African Women Championship, A.W.C, in Equitorial Guinea later this year.
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Victoria Calls for Sports Investment.
Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, Nneji Victoria, has called on the National Sports Commission to invest more towards the development of sports in Nigeria.
Victoria, who won a Silver medal in powerlifting at the just concluded Paralympic Games,in Beijin China, said the nation lacks modern equipment to assist its special athletes to excel in international tournaments as the trend deprieved them from wining Gold medals.
She said most of the nations that featured at the event had been in training four months before the Games and it gave them an ample opportunities to prepare and win medals at stake in each event they competed for.
The Paralympian, said the nation has good athletes that are capable of winning Gold medals but there are no good plans on ground to equip them with modern facities to uplift the standard of Special Sports, adding that most of them trained with improvised facilities prior to the Games.
She said the determination to make the nation proud at the Games gave her the zeal to clinch a Silver Medal despite threat fom other competiting nations.
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Merotohun, Edem Win Procold Table Tennis Tournament.
Nigeria's International Table Tennis player, Monday Merotohun, has won the Men's Singles Event in the second edition of Procold Lagos International Table Tennis Championship which came to a close over the weekend at the Sportshall of the University of Lagos, Akoka.
Merotohun, who featured at the last concluded Olympic Games in Beinjing, China, beat Kazeem Makanjuola, by four straight sets to win a cash prize of Two Thousand Dollars.
In a post match interview,the Africa's sensational player, said Makanjuola was a good ping ponger who in a couple of years would be a table tennis player to reckon with due to his zeal and skills.
He said the final would have been more exciting if he had played against either Ajetunmobi or Segun Toriola in the final because both players are very skillful, adding that the competition has been able to uplift the standard of table tennis which has produced the likes of Atanda Musa, Yomi Bankole.
Merotohun, defeated Aruna Quadri, four sets to three,in the semi final while Makanjuola outstroked Jide Ogidiolu, by four sets to Two, to meet Merotohun at the Men's Singles final.
In the Women's Singles final, Offiong Edem, retained her trophy as she emerged the winner courtesy of four straight sets of 11- 9, 12 - 10, 11 - 7, 11 - 9,over Alimat Hussein, to smile home with One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars.
She beat Ganiat Ogundele of Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps by four straight, 11- 7, 12 - 10, 11 - 6, 11 - 8.
Offiong, who plays professionally in Portugal, said she trained hard to win th tournament since she was informed of the event which according to her has added value to the sport and the home based table tennis players.
She said the tournament has been able to change the scope the sport which has been bedevilled by irregular table tennis championships.
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Nigerian Table Tennis Players Yet To Acquint to I.T.T.F Rules.
The Nigeria Table Tennis Umpires Referee Association, said Nigerian table tennis players need to acquint themselves with the lastest rule and regulations guiding service while featuring in an International tournaments.
The Association which just conducted its election last Friday at the Sportshall of the University of Lagos, Akoka, observed the rules of service at the just concluded Procold Lagos International Table Tennis Championship, a move which was condemned by many ping pongers who believed it was a delibrate move to demoralised them from wining the event.
The Coach of Cross Rivers State Table Tennis Association, Richard Edem, who was bittered when her player, Janet Friday, lost to Ganiat Olatunde, in the final of Junior Girl's Singles final, said the umpire faulted about six of her player's service, a move he claimed discourage her player to lose the game to a fast improving young table tennis player.
The Former Caretaker of the Association, Offiong Edem, said they decided to make use of the rule in a bid to encourage Nigerian ping pongers to acquint themselves with the lastest rules of service, stressing that most of them especially the home based ones are yet to align with I.T.T.F Rules.
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Governor's Tennis Cup Starts Next Month.
The Eight edition of Governor¢s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship will start next month at the lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos.
The tournament as usual will attracts players from more than thirty countries of the world.
Tennis Players from countries like Nigeria, United States, Britain, Israel, Croatia, India, South Africa, Germany, Ireland, Ghana, Morocco, Slovakia, Pakistan, Ukraine and a host of others are already registering for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) approved tournament through the world governing body of the game.
This year's event is expected to be glamorous as the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is working round the clock in conjunction with Nigeria tennis Federation (NTF) to put a world standard organised tennis classic which has been on the calender of the ITF since 2003.
The championship has equally provided a platform for upcoming players accross the globe to enhance their ATP ranking.
Sania Mirza, the lady from India, who won the first and second leg of Ladies Singles in 2004, has moved into the elite club of tennis players in the world.
She is in fact considered a giant killer in the tennis world.
Likewise unseeded player from Netherland, Boy Westerhof won the final of the first leg of the competition last year.
Westerhof, who was ranked Number 635 on the ATP in December, 2008 defeated Morrocan Reda El Amrani in straight sets of 6- 2, 6- 4 game.
Nigerian duo of Jonathan Igbinovia and Abdulmumini Babalola won the Men¢s Doubles trophy.
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Joseph Ladipo To Lead Super Falcons To AWC.
The Chief Coach of Nigeria's Super Falcns,Joseph Ladipo, may not be sacked as head coach of Nigeria¢s Super Falcons after all.
Report have it that the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, are not thinking of replacing him despite the Super Falcons poor outing at the Olympic Games.
Ladipo, will lead the team to the Africa Women¢s Championship holding in Equatorial Guinea between November 15 and 25.
NFF leadership believes the coach has the pedigree and needed experience to tutor the girls to the AWC and that the team was just unlucky to be in the group of death at the Beijing Olympics.
A final decision is expected during an urgent board meeting of the NFF called by the Federation's President, Sani Lulu and has been fixed for Thursday.
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