Nigeria Table Tennis Federation Vice President Tayo Adesoji has revealed that the country is raising new stars to replace Segun Toriola, Aruna Quadri and other legends of the game.
Adesoji made the assertion in a recent interview, where he explained the efforts of the federation in molding new players like Matthew Kuti, Abdulbasit and Azeez Solanke.
“What you’re seeing is the reality of a transition period in Nigerian table tennis. We’re in between generations. Aruna Quadri is nearing 40. Segun Toriola and Funke Oshonaike have bowed out. Maba just exited the scene. These were our legends,” Adesoji said.
“Now, players like Abdulbasit, Kuti, and Azeez Solanke are all under 21. These are kids going toe-to-toe with seasoned professionals who’ve played in up to 17 WTT events and eight World Championships. Kuti, for instance, just played his first WTT and second World Championship. The learning curve is steep.
“In table tennis, you have to lose, and lose big, before you start winning. That’s the reality of elite sports. Our young stars are getting that exposure now, and that beating will soon turn into dominance.
“Exactly. That’s our goal; to raise the next Aruna, the next Toriola. And we’re already seeing signs of success. We’ve told the current players: you’re not yet in the national team; you’re in the frame. More talent is coming through and will challenge you.”
The vice president stated that girls are also being groomed to take over from the retired players and lauded their performances in a recent competition they were involved.
“For the women, too, we have girls as young as 14 and 15 holding their own at the continental level. Apart from Ajoke Ojomu, the rest are new faces. They qualified from the group stage, even if they lost in the knockouts. That’s progress,” he said.
