Top Stars Sign Up for 10th Elcris T’tennis Cup in Lagos

Top table tennis players from across Nigeria have expressed their interest in participating in the 10th Elcris Table Tennis Cup, set to take place from December 23 to 24, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

Organised by the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA) and sponsored by the Babatunde Abayomi Adejobi (BAA) Foundation, the tournament aims to discover new talents and empower the less privileged in society.

According to Babatunde Adejobi, the founder of the BAA Foundation, the event is designed to assist the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) in identifying talents and engaging players ahead of major competitions.

“As a foundation, we want to put smiles on people’s faces and support young individuals in realizing their dreams. As a former table tennis player, we chose to focus on this sport. Our foundation believes that helping the less privileged through sports can also empower them. The tournament has grown significantly, and being the 10th edition, we aim to make it even bigger and eventually take it national,” Adejobi stated.

In addition to talent identification, Adejobi noted that the tournament helps players bond during the festive season, with former winners now part of the national teams.

LSTTA Chairman, Tunji Lawal, praised the foundation for its consistent support of the tournament and called on other individuals and corporate bodies to follow the BAA Foundation’s example in supporting youth sports development. “We are thrilled that the sponsors have decided to expand the tournament and aim to make it national. This is a positive development for the sport in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole, providing more opportunities for national handlers to identify talents and keep players in shape, especially for the upcoming National Sports Festival in Ogun State. We are grateful to the sponsors and look forward to an exciting tournament this year,” Lawal added.

Among the top stars expected to participate in the two-day tournament are African Games silver medallist Matthew Kuti, and the 2024 African Championship men’s doubles champions, Muiz Adegoke and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai.