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Ambode pledges bonus for Nigerian players as ITTF Nigeria Open kicks off

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Ambode represented at NIgeria Open Press Conference 1

The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode has promised to give cash bonuses to successful Nigerian players participating at the 2018 ITTF Challenge Nigeria Open.

The Table Tennis competition will kick off Wednesday at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, with 169 players made up of 101 men and 68 women from 27 countries battling for share of $46,000 prize money of the tournament.

Since the inception of the competition, no Nigerian player has won the title in the singles events, and the Governor’s cash reward is meant to encourage the Nigerian players even if they don’t get to win the titles.

Ambode’s pledge was made known at the press conference on Tuesday by the Director General of the Lagos State Sport Commission (LSSC), Babatunde Bank-Anthony.

“The Governor’s bonus for this year is that His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has instituted a bonus for Nigerian players that will do well in all categories both Men singles and Women Singles because we know that they may not get to win the titles”, Bank-Anthony said.

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“We will make use of the bonus wisely to encourage Nigerian players to go further and we believe that this will help them to at least improve and perform better,” he added.

Also at the conference were Commonwealth Games silver medalist Olajide Omotayo and bronze medalist at the 3rd African Youth Games Esther Oribamise, who assured that Nigeria will do their best not to disappoint in the five-day event.

“We are all ready for the tournament this year because we have the quality to match the foreigners and I am hopeful that we will give our best and hope for the best this. The likes of Aruna Quadri, Bode Abiodun and Segun Toriola have always inspired us that we can be the best in the game. We are fully ready to see Nigerian players on the podium this year,” Omotayo said.

Oribamise added: “We are all in good shape and I can tell you that all of us know what is at stake. Apart from the prize money we are also aiming to improve our ranking with this tournament.”

Also speaking at the conference was the Tournament Director, Kweku Tandoh, who described this year’s competition as the biggest so far, while adding that with the quality of organization, players across the globe are now willing to be part of the championship.

“We are so excited that the tournament is growing each year and this year we have more countries and players and for us, this goes to show that we are raising and we will continue to do that as long as we are getting the needed support particularly the huge support from our title sponsor – Baba Ijebu and host – Lagos State Government. Everything is set and for the next five days, people will watch the best of table tennis made in Lagos,” he stated.

The ITTF Nigeria Open will hold from Wednesday August 8 to Sunday August 12.

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