T/Tennis Coach Wants More Attention On School Sports

A table tennis coach, Samson Ajayi, says Nigeria needs to give more attention to school sports, especially table tennis, for top-class performance at the global level.
Ajayi told newsmen in Lagos that investing more in sports equipment in secondary schools would be necessary to discover and nurture talents early.
He said that potential table tennis stars were in schools waiting to be discovered, urging that adequate efforts should be made to identify and develop them.
“We have schools in and outside Lagos that are essentially developing the sport among their students who want to build a career in table tennis.
“Some of them, on their own, went as far as generating funds to provide boards, bats and tennis balls for training purposes.
“This is a commendable effort,’’ the coach said.
He advised schools to identify with the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA) and its affiliates to assign seasoned coaches to conduct programmes for upcoming players.
Ajayi said that it was fundamental for young players to be thoroughly trained and supervised on the techniques of the sport to strengthen their foundation.
“Once the sport is established in schools, the schools should go the extra mile to approach LSTTA and its affiliates to allocate certified coaches to train young players.
“We have physical education instructors, but for a  good foundation for upcoming players, we need coaches on table tennis to train them,’’ he added.
According to him, access to basic equipment will stir students’ interest in the sport.
Tidesports source gathered that ball, net, table and bat are the International Table Tennis Federation-approved equipment for the sport.
Table tennis, which is a recreational and competitive sport, is played by two or four persons and entails hitting a lightweight ball back and forth across a table using a small bat.