By Adewale Adeyanju
The First Nigeria Deaf Table Tennis Championship organized by Nigeria Deaf Table Tennis Association (NTTA) in partnership with Nigeria Deaf Sports Federation (NDSF) and the West Africa Deaf Sports Union (WADSU), was held on Friday 2nd June, 2023 inside the Indoor Sports Hall, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation Unit, National Stadium Surulere, Lagos Nigeria.
The event witnessed poor turns out of athletes across States in the Nigerian Federation owing to fuel subsidy removal saga and threats of strikes by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), only 9 States out of possible 36 including Federal Capital Territory, graced the event.
INN gathers that many State Governments refused to grant approval and release funds to enable their States’ contingent to the event travel and participate at the inaugural event except for Anambra, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Kebbi, Nasarawa and Lagos State – the hosts.
Speaking to INN at the opening ceremony, the Chairman Nigeria Deaf Table Tennis Association (NTTA) – Mr. Amuda Yusuf Ibrahim stated that “this is the first time to organize championship of this nature; the aim is to promote development of Deaf Table Tennis as a Sports, discover talents and reward them accordingly. We also want to use it to host the first Africa Deaf Table Tennis Championship in Lagos, Nigeria in 2024”.
Asked why the event could not be postponed to a better date due to fuel subsidy removal upheavals, he quipped: “This events has long been planned and decided without anybody envisaging this kind of problem. Just a few days to the event, we started receiving reports across the State branches of their inability to get approval and release of funds to participate. This almost affected the programme but we are able to make it with just 9 States in attendance. However, immediately this maiden edition is concluded, we will have a meeting to review the event and set ball rolling towards hosting the next event successfully taking note of mistakes we may have committed in hosting the first edition”.
Speaking on behalf of the President, Nigeria Deaf Sports Federation (NDSF) – Alhaji Dagbo Saka, Comrade Ige Jenyo-Olawale (Vice President, NDSF) opined that: “beyond participation, the Nigeria Deaf Sports Federation equally intends to use Sports as a weapon to reduce poverty and improved the well-being of Deaf athletes and also gives them sense of belonging.
“This is because we really have talents in Deaf Community who are yearning to discover and harnessed their God-given talents and abilities. NDSF will continue to partner with other organizations to assist these deaf sports men and women in their bid to achieved their goals and aspirations”.
The final events was well contested with the following results released thereafter:
Men’s Singles
1st position Nurudeen Badmus (Delta)
2nd position Arinze Madueke (Anambra)
3rd position Ismaila Adeniran (Delta)
3rd position Olowoniyi Sunday (Ondo)
Women Singles
1st position Jimoh Idayat (Lagos)
2nd position Ganiyat Animashaun (Delta)
3rd position Tokosi Munirat (Lagos)
3rd position Nneamaka Nwachukwu (Anambra)
Men’s Doubles
1st Babatunde A/John Ekemido (Lagos)
2nd Nurudeen Badmus/Adeniran I. (Delta)
3rd Odupitan A./Owolabi K. (Osun)
3rd Peter Nwokolobia/Lukman S. (Lagos)
Women’s Doubles
1st Jimoh I.Tokosi M. (Lagos)
2nd Animashaun G./Alonge O. (Delta)
3rd Taiwo Olatunji/Emmanuella G. (Kebbi)
3rd Nneamaka N./Onyema D. (Anambra)
Mixed Doubles
1st Badmus Nurudeen/Animashaun G. (Delta)
2nd Nwokolobia P/Jimoh I. (Lagos)
3rd Victor F./Gladys (Kebbi)
3rd Odupitan/Alonge (Delta).
Dignitaries at the occasion includes Mrs. Mbora Ikono, Liason Officer/Deputy Acting Director National Stadium Surulere Lagos, Comrade Ige-Jenyo Olawale VP, Nigeria Deaf Sports Federation (NDSF) who stood in for President – Alhaji Dagbo Saka; Secretary General NDSF- Alhaji Lukman Agbabiaka, Mr. Afolabi Dahunsi President of Deaf Supporters Development Initiative (DSDI) who donated the trophies for both the overall best in male and female singles’ events. Mrs. Ogundele Adesina Shola – Technical Director, Nigeria Deaf Sports and many others