Gold Medalists Seek Sponsorship

The Lagos State Table Tennis gold medalists at the 18th National Sports Festival last Friday solicited for sponsors ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The medalists told Tidesports that they were ready to haul gold medals in reciprocation of the sponsorship.

They pledged to be dedication to the games and urged corporate firms for sponsorship to enable them to attend international competitions that would improve their experience.

The 18th National Sports Festival, tagged “Eko 2012”, held in Lagos from November 27 to December 9.

Tidesport reports that Adeyinka Ahmed won gold in the men’s singles while Omotola Olajide and Ganiu Ashimiu won gold and bronze respectively.

Ahmed said that attending both national and international championships was crucial to the development and preparation of an athlete for major competitions.

He said such competitions enabled athletes to meet people who were better than them, thereby perfecting their playing skills.

“Sometimes the weakness of an expert may lie in something simple. It could be in not knowing how to use the back hand to receive or how to receive loops.

“These competitions serve as a sparring ground to size our opponents up before the major competitions such as the Olympics and world championships.”

He said that he had begun training since January soon after the festival ended, to improve himself even without sponsors.

“I train at the Knock- up Hall of the National Stadium for eight hours, six times a week where I engage in rigorous skill sharpening and endurance exercises.

“There is no way that I would not bring home a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.”

Omotayo Olajide, one of the duo medalists of the men’s doubles, also said it was crucial to play with athletes from other countries, to adapt to their style of play.

Olajide noted that it would expose them to the kind of people to meet at major competitions, thereby developing some tactics against them.

He also said that lack of funds hindered the players from participating at various international competitions which would build their experience for the games.

“For instance, we were not able to partake at the ITTF World Tour Austrian Open in Wels which held from January 23 to January 27 and the just concluded ITTF World Tour Kuwait Open which ended on February 18.

“However, the upcoming ITTF LIEBHER World Table Tennis Championships slated for Paris is scheduled for May 13 to May 20.

“If we could get sponsorship to attend these competitions, it would serve as preparatory ground to excel at the Common Wealth Games,” he said.

Olajide expressed optimism of winning gold at the Commonwealth Games, if the players could get sponsors.

Tidesport reports that the event is scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 3.