Funke-Treasure table tennis championship holds next month

As part of her efforts to empower the girl-child with productive skills outside the pervasive focus of social media, the Assistant Director, Programmes, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Funke-Treasure Durodola has concluded plans for a four-day table tennis championship for girls.

The championship entitled: ‘Funke-Treasure Table Tennis Championship’ (F3TC),’ is billed to hold from September 18 to 21, 2018, at the Indoor Sport Hall of the Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan, Oyo State.

According to her, F3TC would serve as a platform for girls in primary and junior secondary schools to learn the basics of the sport and play the game up to the professional level.

Speaking at a novelty table tennis match for media personalities at the Lagos State Public Service Club Ikeja, Lagos recently, Durodola said the F3TC is a way of engaging girls and giving them a platform to add values to their lives.

“There is too much focus on the social media, so if we can get girls to shift their interest to something more creative like table tennis, that would be worthwhile. “Nigeria no longer has iconic figures in table tennis, so we have to breed new ones and the best measure is to catch them young. We will begin to nurture and mentor these young ones for the three categories championship, which consist of the basic learners between ages 8 and 10, the junior secondary school and those we are going to train to become coaches.

At the venue, Kaffo, who frowned at the state of the game in the country, said major tournaments have reduced from 11 to four. While noting that the country needs such initiatives to boost sport development, she emphasised developmental programme for the sport to grow. Kaffo said if the country would focus on developing sport at all levels, that in five years the nation would dominate Africa again.