NTTF To Support Physically Challenged Table Tennis Player

The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has promised to assist, Chukwudalu Okwuchi, a physically-challenged person.

Okwuchi played table-tennis with his legs at the 18th National Sports Festival which ended in Lagos yesterday.

He writes, eats and plays with his legs with whatever he wanted to use, including table tennis bats bandaged in between his right leg’s big toe, the thumb and the next toe.

Segun Oguntade, the Secretary of the federation, made this known in an interview with Tidesport during one of Okwuchi’s display at the Knock-Up Hall, National Stadium, Lagos.

Okwuchi assisted himself by dropping the ball on the tennis table with his mouth and later played with his leg.

The physically challenged athlete, who expertly opened a bottle of mineral, with his thumb also wrote on a sheet of paper: “I want to be a champion,” with a biro tied in between the two toes.

Oguntade admitted that Okwuchi from Abia, exhibited exceptional ability playing the game with his legs in spite of his disability.

“It is amazing that a disabled athlete whose hands and legs are deformed can serve ball and play table tennis, that is good and we will encourage him,’’ he said.

He said that the skills exhibited by Okwuchi at the finals of table tennis event at the festival thrilled the spectators.

NTTF National Coach, Nasiru Bello, said that Okwuchi, a JSS 1 student would be grouped according to his level of disability.

“We are aware of his disability, skills and the enthusiasm of him making head way. Based on these, we will begin his training from the primary stage for him to develop accordingly.

“Although, we have other disabled athletes that play the game, this boy’s case is unique which shows that there is hope for him,’’ Bello said.

Nasiru said that NTTF would organise a training programme for him to enable him feature in Calabar 2014 and other national and international competitions.

Okwuchi told Tidesports that he had passion for the game of table tennis and would not allow his disability to deter him from becoming a national champion and a professional player.

He said he did not want to be a liability to his family and society but want to contribute his quota to the development of the game in the country.

“I believe I have the talent to become a national champion and a professional player that can represent Nigeria in international competition. All I need is encouragement.

“I don’t want undue sympathy or people giving me alms because I don’t want to depend on people to survive, I believe in my talent,’’ he said.

Okwuchi’s Coach, Ifeoma Isaac, who narrated how he discovered him, told Tidesports that she saw him one day on the road and approached him if he could develop interest in the sport.

“I later invited him for training. I could not believe my eyes the level of dexterity in him. Subsequently, he improves and catches up easily,’’ Isaac said.