Organisers of this year’s World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender Lagos are beaming with delight and uttering expressions of hope for exciting games, as the main draw begins this Thursday at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
Sports247 reports that the competition began on Monday inside the stadium’s expansive Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, where some players turned up directly from the recent World Team Table Tennis Championships in London.
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There are now battling for honours at the $100,000 prize money competition in Lagos, which is ranked high among the 10 WTT Contenders worldwide and the second to be staged in Africa, after it debuted in Tunisia.
Chairman of the competition’s Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Tayo Adesoji said it is unique that 30 of the world’s top 100 ranked players from Japan, Korea Republic, France, Portugal, Egypt, Romania, India and Belgium are featuring.
While hailing the turnout of fans at the venue, Adesoji added that the six-day WTT Contender has been boosted with immense support from Lagos State government and numerous corporate bodies that have stepped forward as sponsors.
He further pointed out that it is a huge plus for Lagos and Nigeria as whole that the WTT Contender has become a fixture on the calendar of many top table tennis players, even as it continues to grow with laudable attendance by fans of the sport.
Adesoji stated, “We are grateful to the Lagos State Government and our sponsors, Baba Ijebu Bet, Prime Atlantic, and CFOmoto, for their consistent support. With the calibre of players signed up, fans should expect explosive matches this year.”
On his part, the tournament director, Kweku Tandoh highlighted its evolution from a humble beginning in 2013 as Lagos State Table Tennis Classics, to Nigeria Open in 2016, ITTF Challenge Open in 2019 and WTT Contender Lagos in 2023.
“This tournament has established Lagos as a global table tennis destination, thanks to unwavering support of Lagos State Government and our partners. We aim to keep improving and attracting world-class players to the aquatic city,” Tandoh enthused.
