We plan to recreate good old days of Nigerian Table Tennis, says Edun

To some enthusiasts, table tennis is more than just a game. It is a way of life that can become a means of livelihood if well managed. In Nigeria, where thousands of children love the ping pong game, well thought out programmes and management of the diverse resources can elevate the country to the elite class of international table tennis community.

Such is the desire of United Kingdom-based Nigerian property expert, Yemi Edun, who is the managing director and founder of Daniel Ford International. Edun has decided to put his money where his mouth is by financing and sponsoring table tennis to help the budding talents scattered across the country find avenues to grow their talents.

Through the two-day maiden Daniel Ford International Elite Youth Championships scheduled for Lagos on December 21 and 22, Edun wants to leverage on his experience as a child in the Surulere area of Lagos, where the sport was popular among the residents, to raise new stars for the country.

Speaking on his sojourn into table tennis sponsorship, Edun said he wants to recreate the opportunities children of the 1970s up to late 1990s had, which gave them opportunity to become international table tennis stars.

“Table tennis was widely played at homes and on the streets growing up, but I also lived in Surulere, which was and still is, to some extent, the sports capital of Nigeria. In fact, the National Stadium is also known as Sports City, and my growth in this section of the country made me acutely aware of all things sport, including table tennis.
“Aside from that, I grew up during a period when table tennis legends like Atanda Musa and Yomi Bankole were routinely featured on the front pages of national newspapers.
“Table tennis was an enormously accessible sport. A disused door and broken bits of wood were suitable entry points, with the balls fondly referred to as eggs by us back then due to their appearance and mild fragility.
“However, the sport’s accessibility and non-aggressive nature made it a family centered sport, which meant that most Nigerian households, regardless of class, had a tennis table in some form or another.
“So, with that said, there is a nostalgic look back to the glory days of table tennis, as well as an undying love and passion for the sport. We believe that the missing link or void is competition, and that is what we are attempting to bridge by introducing competition into the equation, which we believe will fan the flames that are still present and make it even better.”

Edun said his sponsorship of the table tennis championship would bring more interest to the sport, adding, “if the anticipated passion and interest remains, we will consider making it even bigger and for a much longer period of time. In this scenario, the assistance would be long-term.”

Edun said his primary objective is to enrich the existing talent pool and provide opportunities for more talent to shine. “We also believe it would be something that is suitable for the festive season, a good way to round up the year.

“In the long run, we hope it will be something that opens yearly four to five days before Christmas, and what better way to end the year than with a well-attended and well-organised competition that can only benefit the game, players and community at large. It may also be able to keep some kids off the streets.

“Our objective is to elevate table tennis’s place in Nigeria’s sporting hierarchy and, ideally, bring it back to the times when it was frequently featured in the media.

“A Nigerian is currently ranks among the top 20 in the world, and I think we can do much better if we show more support for the game.”