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Efunkoya cadet table tennis tourney begins Thursday

By Samuel Ifetoye
15 November 2021   |   4:02 am
The second edition of the U-15 Dr. A.A. Efunkoya National Cadet Table Tennis Championships will begin on Thursday at the National Stadium in Surulere.

The second edition of the U-15 Dr. A.A. Efunkoya National Cadet Table Tennis Championships will begin on Thursday at the National Stadium in Surulere.

The championships is being organised by the Dr. A.A. Efunkoya Foundation with the aim of unearthing talents for the country.

Athletes from across the federation are expected to arrive on Wednesday to compete for the three-day top prize in the boys and girls’ categories of the championships.

Speaking on the event, Foundation Chairman, Babatunde Obisanya, said the arranged yearly contest didn’t hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that this year’s edition will hold as planned.

“Though the pandemic is still lingering, albeit, at a much-reduced level. We have decided to go ahead with the tournament this year, while taking all the necessary precautions needed to keep all participants and spectators safe. And there will be appropriate use of face masks, hand sanitisers at the venue and physical distancing will be observed.

“In line with Efunkoya’s strong emphasis on the need for young table tennis players to also focus on their education and just like at the first edition of the tournament, there will be an educational scholarship for each of the winners in the boys’ and girls’ singles categories,” he said.

The former national table tennis coach added: “This year we are expecting an even larger level of participation than 2019 and we will welcome the public to attend all the three days of competition, but most especially at the finals, which promises to be very exciting indeed.

“We assure the table tennis loving public that they will be getting a massive amount of guaranteed excitement when they attend the 2021 edition of the championships. This is also part of giving encouragement to the next generation of the Nigerian table tennis champions,” he stated.

The late Efunkoya was a surgeon and medical practitioner, who became involved in administration of table tennis in 1962. He won the then Nigeria Table Tennis Association in 1963.

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