Fast-rising table tennis player, Samuel Oluwatobi Falana has revealed a chance encounter he had with destiny while playing ping-pong on the streets, which shaped his career in the sizzling sport.
Falana added that the ‘street encounter’ not only changed his status in life, it also gave him the impetus to think about people in need and show love to the community that produced him.
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Sports247 reports that Falana’s life took a dramatic turn around when he was spotted on the street by a table tennis coach, who would later take charge of his career, after gaining the much needed approval from the lad’s parents.
Sadly, those parents are now late, but Falana recalls how they gave him the nod back in those days to take up the game fully in 2006, when his massive transformation began.
Falana recounted, “I was just playing for fun with my sister when a coach passed by and watched us. He later spoke to my dad and said he saw talent in me and wanted me to start proper training. My dad agreed, and that was how everything started.”
He reflected on his past and the journey so far, then pointed out that his dramatic breakthrough gave him a strong desire to help people in need, since God also sent him a helper to guide his career and realise his dream of playing abroad.
The ping-pong prodigy now wants to discover and groom young table tennis players, as he believes the game is not just about winning matches but more of inspiring others and giving back to the community.
