Cross River Table Tennis Association Launches Grassroots Development Program | The Guardian Nigeria news

The Cross River State Table Tennis Association (CRSTTA) today announces a two-day talent search program at UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar to find young, talented players in the state.

It is the second Edim Inok Table Tennis Championship organized by the federation in partnership with the Cross River Paper Commission.

According to Richard Edem, the association’s head coach, there are four categories in the tournament, including the men’s singles, the women’s singles, the young boys ’singles and the cadet singles.

Edem appealed to parents whose departments were interested in the sport to support them with tools he said were expensive.

“If we want to encourage players as a reward, we can buy extra rackets to help them train when they arrive.

“When kids come to workouts, we expect them to come with a personal package that they can’t share with others because of their personality, style of play, and preferences,” he said.

Competition sponsor Edim Inok also said he, as a friend of table tennis and a sponsor of his player time, is trying to prioritize supporting others in the state.

“It’s not right that at Cross River, we expect the government to do everything – if you’re a fan of a particular sport, we can do something ourselves.

“In 1981, I represented this state in Port Harcourt in table tennis and badminton, and in Oluyole ’79. All of these competitions are sponsored by individuals and companies, he said

Inok added that in order for sport to grow, the nation needs to get players young.