The South-South zonal representative on the board of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Mr. Ama-ebi Ebikpolade Stow, has attributed the slow progress of table tennis in the zone to a lack of facilities.
Mr. Ebikpolade made this known during a live interaction with “Sport Tribe Podcast” at the newly constructed Fortress at Oxbow-Lake in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
He stated that when he assumed office as chairman of the Bayelsa State Table Tennis Association, he and his vice chairman, Mr. Ranani Igrubia, identified key areas for improvement and realized that the lack of facilities was a major issue affecting table tennis in the state.
According to him, the only states in Nigeria that can boast of proper table tennis facilities are Lagos and Cross River. He noted that table tennis was previously played on NTTF-unapproved floors, but that narrative has since changed.
The NTTF zonal representative emphasized that his desire to construct a state-of-the-art facility for table tennis, rather than his initial plan to build a mechanic shop, stemmed from the passion he has developed for the sport, stating that he has no regrets about investing heavily in the youth.
Mr. Ebikpolade explained that prior to his appointment as chairman, the majority of coaches in the association had not yet secured their National Institute of Sports (NIS) certificates, which he pointed out is the only recognized certification by the NTTF for coaches.
He further explained that the latest coach to benefit from the NIS program was Azibalua Abadi from Ogbia LGA. He stressed that the association would not condone mediocrity but would instead pursue excellence, noting that the state umpires have also benefited from training exercises to familiarize themselves with the rules of the game.
He asserted that, in addition to winning laurels for the state, the association is committed to ensuring that all athletes combine sports and education, pointing out that they are currently attending one of the best private universities in the country.
Mr. Ebikpolade remarked that since his emergence as the table tennis chairman, Bayelsa has narrowed the gap with other states in the nation, particularly Lagos, emphasizing that Bayelsa has become a force to be reckoned with in Nigeria over the past few years.
He opined that the commissioner for Sports Development, Dr. Igali, and the Director of Sports, Sir Braveman Wodi, have made things easier for the association, adding that his current priority is for the athletes to represent the state well in the National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
Additionally, former Bayelsa State Table Tennis star Ateh Maiduguri stated that the new generation of players is fortunate to have Ama-ebi Stow as chairman, describing them as privileged.
He recalled that during their playing days, table tennis was nearly dropped from competitions outside the state due to poor performances in tournaments, expressing his delight at the progress of the sport under Ama-ebi’s leadership.
Maiduguri urged multinational oil companies, financial institutions, and well-meaning Bayelsans to get involved in the development of sports, emphasizing that the government cannot do it alone.
