Tennis Coach Canvasses Support For Dev

Coach Dotun Omoniyi of the
Ondo State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA), has urged corporate organisations to sponsor outstanding players to international championships, to groom them to stardom.
Omoniyi, in an interview with newsmen also urged state governments to ensure the exposure of their players through sponsorships to international competitions.
According to Omoniyi, the players’ participation in international championships would afford them the opportunity of getting the required experience.
He said that international championships were regularly organised by the Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), which should be utilised to develop the athletes.
“This is a request to state governments and corporate bodies that they should identify with the growth of our potential athletes by sponsoring them to international championships.
“Exposure is very necessary for the good development of athletes as it will create opportunities for them to compare their skills with those of their foreign counterparts and improve,’’ he said.
He said that the pressure should not be necessarily for the athletes to win medals, but rather to acquire the technical know-how to improve on their competencies.
“The ping-pong game requires a technical understanding of an opponent, playing with different hands makes them to learn diverse strokes and know when and how best to apply it.
“The issue of a fire brigade approach to games will be reduced because athletes would have been in form with the latest developments and the problem of stage fright will not be there,’’ he said.
He also pleaded with the authorities to ensure the provision of allowances and training kits for the athletes and coaches, to serve as a form of motivation.