Janet Osemudiamen
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has taken out the names of the President of the Nigeria Olympics Committee, NOC, Habu Gumel and secretary-general of the NOC Olabanji Oladapo from the list of caretaker committee members for the dissolved boards of the National Sports Federations.
The sports ministry, following the ending of boards of the federations,on friday appointed three-member caretaker committees to oversee the affairs of the federations, prior to the election of new boards in a yet to be disclosed date.
The ministry appointed Gumel into the Nigeria Volleyball Federation committee, while Oladapo was named as a member of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation committee.
The President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation NTTF, Ishaku Tikon said the cardinal function of the federation is to discover, groom and kit young talents.
He made this submission after presenting new table tennis kits to junior international and World Junior champion, Usman Okanlawon.
Tikon said the gesture is significant to stakeholders in the sport, because it is in line with the mandate of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation and the vision of the sports ministry to resuscitate grassroots sports.
The NTTF president also confirmed that Nigeria’s table tennis contingent is getting ready for the Olympics. He said the Para athletes have picked up six Olympic slots and will be aiming for more at the qualifiers in Slovenia.
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’Tosin Oluwalowo
President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Ishaku Tikon, has hailed Africa’s top player, Quadri Aruna, for his performance, after he crashed out of the 2021 World Table Tennis Star Contender in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday.
Aruna lost 3-0 (11-4, 13-11, 11-7) to Japan’s Harimoto Tamakazu, the world No.5 in the third round of the tournament.
Tikon, who hailed Aruna for flying the continent’s flag well, said he hoped he would replicate the performance at the 2020 Olympic qualifiers next week.
“I am particularly impressed with Aruna because he showed that he is among the best in the world. Unfortunately for him, he had a tough draw and this affected his good run, but in all, his performance has given us confidence that he will make it to the Tokyo Olympic Games at the qualifiers next week,” Tikon said.
The Nigeria Police Archery team has emerged the overall winners of the maiden Nigerian Archery Federation National Men and Women’s Open Championships with seven gold, four silver and one bronze medals.
The Championship which held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja also witnessed the Lekki Archery Club, Lagos, finished second winning one gold medal. The third position went to the Nigerian Army team with three silver and two bronze medals.
Other winners include; Abuja Archery Club that won one silver and three bronze medals; Nigeria Immigration Services, one silver and one bronze; the Nigeria Correctional Centre, one bronze medal; Plateau State, one bronze; and the Nigerian Air Force.
ITTF re-appoints Oshodi as Chairman of Nomination Committee
For his sterling display coupled with his exceptional leadership style, the Executive Committee of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has reappointed Nigeria’s Wahid Enitan Oshodi as the Chairman of its Nomination Committee for another term of office.
In a statement signed by ITTF Secretary-General, Raul Calin, the composition of the Nominations Committee chaired by Oshodi for the term 2020-2022 was confirmed at the ITTF Executive Committee meeting held on Monday, December 21, 2020.
Oshodi, Vice President, ITTF Africa Western Region rose from being a member of the committee as the first Nigerian and African to chair the highest committee in the world body is expected to serve for another two-year term (2020-2022) with most of its former members returning with the exception of one new member who is joining the team for the first time.