Ogundele, Adeniyi Win Asoju Oba Cup As Bose Kaffo Organises Coaching Course.

Kazeem Adeniyi and Rasheedat Ogundele have won the Mens and Women's Singles in the

forty second edition of the Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship which came to a close over the weekend at the Chief Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sport shall at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Kazeem Adeniyi who almost lost to Omotayo Olajide in the Semi final clash in a game which ended 4 set to 3 in his favour outplayed Ashimiyu who was widely tipped to win the Men's Singles final by 4 set to 2 of 11 - 9, 8 - 11, 13 - 11, 11 - 9, 5 - 11,12 - 10.

Adeniyi who won the tournament in 2006 and was unable to keep his position at the Union Bank Table Tennis Club fought hard to gain recognition among his peers who has been training extensively for the tournament sponsored by Chief Molade Okoya Thomas.

While speaking on his feat, Adeniyi, said, said Ashimiyu was a future table tennis player whose skills is far beyond the time when he was playing as a Junior table tennis player, stressing that the young sensational ping ponger has what it takes to play top rated table tennis players in the continent.

Adeniyi, who smiled home with a giant fridge and cash prize, commended the sponsor for his commitment towards development of table tennis in Lagos State, stressing Chief Molade Okoya Thomas gesture has serve as a platform for Nigerian ping pongers to travel abroad to professional table ten is.

Ashimiyu, who was devastated over his defeat, said he lost his confidence after he lost the third set, 13 - 11 as Kazeem forge ahead to pick the fourth set 11 - 9, to stand a position to win the tourney which he has lost grip of four years ago.

In the Women's Singles, Rasheedat Ogundele, the younger sister of Ganiyat Ogundele who won a brand new salon car during the fortieth edition of the tourney redeemed her image after she defeated Ganiya Olatunde ina classic Women's Singles event.

Olatunde, who sent packing the defending champion in the Women's Singles, Atinuke Olaide, picked the first three set of 11 - 8, 11- 4, 11- 3 as Rasheedat Ogundele fought hard to win the tournament after she picked the remaining four set, 11 - 6, 11 - 5, 12 - 10, 11 - 5, to set the indoor sportshall in a frenzy mood.

Ogundele, while speaking with sports journalists, said she was motivated to win the tournament based on the records her sister had set in the sport before she left the shore of Nigeria, adding that she trained very hard to win the event which she has been looking up to over couple of year.


Bose Kaffo To Organise ITTF Coaching Course..

Following the dearth of table tennis coaches in Nigeria, former Nigerian and African number One female table tennis player, Bose Kaffo, is organising a five day International Table Tennis Federation Level One coaching course at the Indoor sport shall of the Lagos State Sports Council.

The programme which is sponsored by the Lagos State Government in conjuction with the International Table Tennis Federation started on Sunday with 30 coaches and table tennis players couple with the provision of twenty five table tennis boards.

According to Kaffo, a board member of the Lagos State Sports Council, the need to organise the course was to help update the coaches who do not have opportunity to participate in series of training programmes sanctioned by ITTF, stressing that it would also produce new table tennis coaches who would provide a platform for the regeneration of the sport.

The Olympian, who believed the sufficient of good table tennis players in the Lagos state needs to be complemented by outstanding table tennis coaches, said the training would afford the coaches to acquire latest phenomenon and also to acquint themselves with scientific and basic table tennis skills.

She said Egyptian Table Tennis Federation has over one hundred and seventy five coaches who are abreast of latest development in the sport and the gesture has paved the way for the Federatio to record outstanding progress and achievements in series of ITTF approved tournaments.

The training according to Kaffo, has been designed in such a way that it would accomodate the coaches and table tennis players where thirty coaches would be trained to obtain ITTF level 1 certificate, stressing that the course would place on platform where they would have opportunity to coach clubs, schools, and also to support the national coaches.

She explained that the ping pongers who are between six and eighteen years would help them to get started with correct and basic techniques of the sport and to get them interested in the sport while the programme would fortify the skilled players with basic skills to help them win laurels at the forthcoming at the National Sports Festival in Rivers State, in February, 2011.

Kaffo, who is among the best twenty Level One and two ITTF conductor in the world, said it would demeaning if she fails to add value to the improvement of the sport in Nigeria having been rated among the best, hence the reason she approach the state government for assistance to stage the course.

She praised Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for his support and zeal to uplift the standard of the sport and also give the coaches an avenue to join comity of world's best coaches who are fortify with required training.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Council, Agboola Dabiri, said the train the trainers programme would help the state to produce the best table tennis players and also aid their medal haul at the next National Sports Festival in Rivers State.

The President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Kayode Abdulwahab Omotose, said Kaffo's programme was a welcoming development towards enriching the country with reputable coaches who in the next couple of year would have produce the best players who would outshine Egyptian ping pongers.

Omotose, said the NTTF would not relent in its efforts to support Kaffo in her bid to use her wealth of experience to uplift the sport to loftier height in the world.