The Enugu State Ministry for Youth and Sports Development, has described Table Tennis as one of the major sports that continued to gain momentum, competitiveness and massive recognition globally, while highlighting the significance of talent discovery.
The Ministry admitted that the game can only develop and grow when there are constant collaboration and sponsorship programs with the relevant stakeholders, corporate bodies as well as well meaning individuals while expressing high optimism that the state has enormous talents that can take the world by storm.
Speaking during the inauguration of the new executives of the Enugu State’ Table Tennis Associatino, ESTTA, at the State Secretariat, GRA, at the weekend, the Commissioner, Barrister Lloyd Ekweremadu tasked the Association to be innovative and articulated in the discharge of its mandate, stressing that the era of over reliance on the Ministry and government is over.
The Commissioner who identified football, boxing, athletics and some other sports as impactful and self sustaining over time, insisted that the Association should transform leisure playing tennis to competition, unearth the next generation of players as well as propagate the sport to the hinterland.
In his acceptance speech, Chairman of ESTTA, Dr. Hyacinth Onah, represented by the Vice Chairman, Onuchukwu Emmanuel, thanked the Commissioner, Director of Coaching and other staff of the Ministry for making the event come to fruition, pledging that ty he Association will leave up to expectations.
On his part, the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, NTTF, Southeast representative, Boniface Akunna, commended the Ministry for the remarkable and outstanding successes it has recorded since assumption into office, adding that Ugwuodo Christopher also known as Katika, who is a certified International Coach, and the Technical Adviser on the Association needed to be supported financially and morally.
Meanwhile, other executives include Mrs. Ishiwu Victoria Nkiruka (Secretary), Mrs. Rosemary Akere (Assistant Secretary), Mrs. Chidimma Nwodo (Treasurer), Mr. Izumuo Chimaobi Eugene (Financial Secretary), Ugochukwu Okeiyi (Media Officer,), Mr. Chukwuemeka Udeh (ex official),
Engineer Onyekachi Onyebinanma, Dr. Obinna Modebe, Oxor Byron Okolo, Engineer Okeke Sunday will all serve as members.
