T/Tennis Panel To Strip States Of Medals If …

States caught at the ongoing 17th National Sports Festival, NSF fielding ineligible players will be seriously dealt with and their medals, if any, withdrawn.

This was the position of Chief-referee of table tennis, Peter John in an interview with Tidesports, yesterday.

John warned states not to attempt to play pranks by fielding any ineligible player, especially, those who have reached their appearance limit at the festival.

He said that if any such player is discovered, the Tennis panel of Jurists will disqualify and strip the state of any medal won.

According to him, “the Table Tennis Federation will not compromise on any of the rules because it is determined to look out for new talents and guarantee fair play.

“Any protest received will be given the required attention without bias.”

He added that the federation was poised to ensure that the festival has utmost credibility, and urged other sports associations to ensure that athletes were screened properly before participating in competitions.

Tonye Orabere