Banned Tennis Player Begs For Forgiveness

A table tennis player Fatimo Bello, banned from the game for three years at the 2012 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos has again pleaded for the sanction to be lifted.

Bello, 16, a Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA) player, was found to have violated the games’ rules by having double registration with Lagos and Delta.

The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), organisers of the event at the festival, following a petition by the Delta State Sports Commission that she was a Delta athlete, investigated Bello.

The jury found that Bello was initially registered by Lagos State but was engaged later by Delta, a situation that made her to be paid salaries by both states.

The finding left the NTTF with no option than to impose the sanction which implied that she would not play in any competition or train in any facility in the state.

Consequently, the body announced her ban in statement jointly signed by the NTTF President and Secretary, Kayode Abdulwahab-Omotose and Segun Oguntade, respectively.

Bello had early in January pleaded with the NTTF to forgive her as the punishment affected her career but the game’s governing body had yet to reply her.

She told Tidesports that the NTTF should not turn a deaf ear to her plea.

“I am once again begging the NTTF to reconsider my apology and give me another chance so that I can return to the game I am talented in.

“The ping-pong game requires constant practice for one to develop his or her skills ahead of competitions, the ban is really affecting my swiftness, ambition and career,’’ Bello said.

She expressed sadness over the ban which also restricted her from training in any table tennis hall in Lagos, saying she had not trained in the past two months.

Bello said that her desire was to represent the country in major international competitions.