Organisers increase Lagos ITTF World Tour prize money

TO attract more world class players to this year’s International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) World Tour, tagged Lagos Open, the organizers have increased the prize money from $39,000 (N7.8m) to $46,000 (N9.2m). They have also increased the categories in the tour to six from four. 

  In this year’s tournament, players will compete in singles (men and women), doubles (men and women), as well as U-21 boys and girls.

  The five-day competition will take place at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun in Lagos and it will serve off on March 10 and end on the 14th.

  The ITTF ranking event will help players taking part amass points for their world rating in March.

  According to the prospectus released by ITTF on its website, Egypt’s Nabil Almamoon and Algeria’s Mounir Bessah have been named the referee and competition manager respectively, while Nigeria’s Lajide Oluranti is the tournament director.

  More players from Africa and Europe have signified their intention to be part of the championship, which has been entrenched in the ITTF calendar.

  According to the organisers, the current ITTF star player, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri and Africa’s most decorated table tennis player, Segun Toriola, have confirmed their participation in the tournament, while home-based stars like Kazeem Makanjuola, Hameed Adeyinka and Rashidat Ogundele will also be part of the competition.

  The organisers revealed that plans are in top gear for a befitting tournament, just like they have done in the two previous editions, which were adjudged as among the best organized pro tours in the ITTF calendar.