Our Gains At ITTF Hopes Week Programme, By Players, Coaches.

There is no doubt that the participants at the ongoing International  Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Hopes week training programme believe the  exercise have indeed improved their knowledge of the game.

In the last six days, the Under 13 players drawn from nine states across  the country as well as six coaches have been tutored by the ITTF  instructor, Papic Dejan, with aim of improving the skills and knowledge  of the participants.

Nine year-old Zeinab Surmer, could not hide her excitement, as she admitted that the training has indeed broaden her knowledge of the game,  which she said would help her to be a better player.

“I am happy to be part of the programme because it has been worthwhile in the last seven days. Aside the conducive environment, we have been taught a lot of things by the coaches.

As a player, I now know that jogging and physical exercise is key to my performance in any
competition. Also, my backhand and forehand are now better and I will continue to work on it so that I can become a better player,” she said.

Also, 12 year-old Mary Simon, who traveled from the far north state of Adamawa, this experience and knowledge she acquire would remain with her forever.

“I now know that backhand is very important for me because I have been used to forehand but wit the training, my backhand has improved and I will continue to work on it when I get back to my base. I also made new friends from other part of Nigeria. This for me is what I will
cherish in life,” Simon.

However, 10 year-old Abayomi Animasaun, who recently won the cadet division of a national tournament, playing with backhand regularly now remains a habit he would imbibe.

“I think for me playing well with backhand is one skill I know I was lacking before the training. But with this exercise, I want to say that I am not going to stop playing regularly with backhand while I will also work on my forehand,” he added.

Two of the coaches, Olubode Ajayi and Ifeoma Isaac lauded the initiative, saying this would surely help the country to identify and nurture world-beaters in the game.

Ajayi, who unearthed one of the Nigeria’s junior sensation, Esther Tosin Oribamishe, applauded ITTF as well as Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), saying he was a product of such programme staged two decades ago in Nigeria.

“I was part this programme 20 years ago and with the new skills acquired in this training exercise, I want to go back to my base and replicate everything I had leant. We are grateful to ITTF and NTTF for ensuring that this programme is staged in Nigeria this year and I hope Nigeria will be better for it in the game,” Ajayi said.

For Isaac, who traveled from South East part of the country – Abia, being part of the exercise has indeed exposed her to lots of training programme for cadet players.

“Technique as well as training programme for kids are some of the new things that I leanrt from this exercise. Particularly the use of multiple balls for the players as well as footwork and arms movement are other skills I picked up from the exercise and I hope to convince the authority in my state to invest in facilities,” she said.

ITTF instructor, Dejan, however, said that the essence of the prgoramme is to help the sport to grow, educate the coaches as well as talent identification.

He added that the one-week exercise is meant to engage and mentor the coaches as well as to improve the skills of the players.

The seven-day ITTF Hopes Week holding in Lagos is aimed to stimulate and motivate national associations to dig deep in talents identification and coach education. The participants were drawn from Adamawa, Taraba, Kogi, Kwara, Delta, Abia, Ekiti, Lagos and Oyo states and the exercise started five years ago.