Chairman, Nigeria Table Tennis Umpires Association, John Peters, has  called on former national players to assist budding talents in the sport to achieve their dreams of becoming professionals.

Peters told newsmen in an interview in Lagos that ex-players should be able to give back to the society that had made them.

“I am calling on players that have benefited from table tennis to make a positive impact on the sport that has made them by sponsoring programmes.

“The development of the ping-pong game should not be left to the government alone but rather, it should be a collective responsibility of past players with the national body,’’ he said.

Peters, who is also the Technical Director, Lagos State Table Tennis Association, said that the National Sports Commission (NSC) could not carry the responsibility of sports development alone.

He said that U.S.-based former Lagos State player, Toyin Okenla-Ojeaga, sponsoring the maiden edition of Inter-Schools Table Tennis Tournament, tagged “Toyin Okenla-Ojeaga U-17 Table Tennis Championships’’ was commendable.

According to him, the competition for students in the state will be organised from January 21 to January 26, 2013 at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Yaba.

Peter said the former national player, who played in the 1980s was passionate about the development of players from the grassroots in Lagos state.

“This is something that we have been clamouring for and I am using this opportunity to say that we will give her the support to achieve a memorable event,’’ he said.

He urged Lagos state players who fell within the specified age category to take advantage of the event to exhibit their skills.