Players from the 14 countries including host – Nigeria and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) officials will start arriving Lagos on Friday June 20, for the Lagos World Tour tagged Nigeria Open.
According to the itinerary of the teams, Singapore’s Jing Yuan Yin will be the first player expected to touch down in Lagos for the four-day tournament.
Others expected are Luxembourg’s Ni Xialian as well as Russia’s duo of Vasilij Filatov and Irina Ermakova.
The eight-man Egyptian team will arrive on Saturday June 21, while others will arrive Lagos on Sunday.
Also, ITTF officials led by African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy as well as his deputy, Henri Djombo from Congo Brazzaville will be in Lagos by Sunday.
ITTF Marketing Director, Australia’s Mr. Steve Daintom will also be in Lagos.
The draw for the championship will hold on Sunday, while some top players will be seeded for the competition.
Meanwhile, winners in the men and women singles event will get N.8m each while players that make it to the round of 16 will get cash reward for their efforts.
Semifinalists in the U-21 event will also be rewarded for their efforts.
As a Challenge Series in the ITTF World Tour, players are expected to amass point for their world ranking at the tournament.
Preliminary matches will kick off on Monday June 23, while the main draw will commence on Tuesday June 24.
Nigerian players aiming to be part of the main draw event are now sweating it out across the country with the intention of playing in the elite stage of the championship.
Some of the Nigerian players already in the country for the tournament are Germany-based Funke Oshonaike, Portugal-based Ganiat Olatunde-Aruna, as well as Italy-based Olajide Omotayo.
Over 15 countries including Nigeria will compete in the N8.5m prize money tournament holding at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium from June 23 to 26.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
NBBF Name 24 Players for Maiden National LeagueFemale All Star Game
The Nigerian Basketball Federation has selected 24 players to compete in
the first ever Female All Star game. This is part celebration of the 10th
anniversary of Zenith Bank's unbroken sponsorship of the National female
basketball league.
The All Star game which would be aired Live on SuperSport is slated for
3pm on Friday June 20, 2014 at the indoor sports hall of the National
Stadium. Two teams Sea Waves and Ocean
Breeze will compete for the giant All Star game trophy in the much anticipated
exhibition game. For the Sea Waves team
we have Atosu Upe (First Deep Water); Amaka Nwakamma (Dolphins) ; Nkechi
Akashili (First Deep Water); Juliet Currency (Dolphins) ; Nana Ayisha (FCT
Angels); Christiana Isaac (IGP Queens); Tinuke Arowosafe (Dolphins) ; Uju Nweke
(Delta Force); Kojo Nadege (Dolphins); Esther Igben (Delta Force); Nkem
Akaraiwe (First Bank) and Korede Bello (Sunshine Angels) . The Sea Waves will
be coached by First Bank's Adewunmi Aderemi and assisted by Sunday Asisah of
FCT Angels while the Ocean Breeze have all stars Patience Whyte (First Bank);
Ebere Okeke (FCT Angels); Naomi Jonathan (IGP Queens); Eva Atunuwa (Sunshine
Angels); Theresa Samuel (Customs); Oluchi Nweke (First Bank); Rebecca Iritei
(Sunshine Angels); Magdalene Ukato (First Deep Water); Chioma Udeaja(First
Bank); Abimbola Olumodeji (Customs); Nancy Irabor Romeo (IGP Queens); and Fatou Diabate (First Deep Water). Ocean
Breeze will be coached by First Deep Water head coach Lateef Erinfolami and
assisted by Dolphins Ochuko okorogwu.
The All Star game will also have a 3 points shootout contest and skills challenge that will involve
celebrities, veterans and coaches competing against each other. Some of the big
names expected to take part in the event include Nollywood actor, producer and
film maker Kunle Afolayan, Founder and owner of First Deep Water Basketball
club Tunde Babalola, national team coaches Abdulrahman Muhammed, Lateef Erinfolami, and some former female
league stars Taiye Adeniyi, Shola
Ogunade, Ochuko Okworogun and Gloria Edward.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
WOMEN,S BASKETBALL
The Nigerian Basketball Federation announced on Monday that the knockout phase of 10th Zenith Bank Female Basketball league and All Star Game will be shown Live on Television.
According to the League Director Mr Agboola Phinerho this addition is to afford fans and supporters of the various basketball teams in various parts of the country and in diaspora who are cannot make it down to the National Stadium in Lagos an opportunity to cheer and support their beloved teams in the championship race.
Beyond that, He said " this initiative is also to expose the talents in the Nigerian female league to the global community, just as it is seen in the Men's league sponsored by DSTV".
Sports Television giants SuperSport will begin coverage of Nigeria's premier female basketball league in the knockout stages on Wednesday, 18th June with two classification games at 2 and 4pm respectively, before shifting focus to Thursday's Semifinal battle at 3 and 5pm.
The much anticipated maiden Zenith Bank Female ALL STAR Game will Jump Ball at 4pm on friday 2oth June. Before the "Grand Finale" the crowning of the 2014 champions on Saturday, 21st June at 4pm after the 3rd place playoff game has been decided at 1pm the same day.
SuperSport is billed air a total of 8 Live games in 4 days as opposed to last season where only the final match was televised Live.
According to the League Director Mr Agboola Phinerho this addition is to afford fans and supporters of the various basketball teams in various parts of the country and in diaspora who are cannot make it down to the National Stadium in Lagos an opportunity to cheer and support their beloved teams in the championship race.
Beyond that, He said " this initiative is also to expose the talents in the Nigerian female league to the global community, just as it is seen in the Men's league sponsored by DSTV".
Sports Television giants SuperSport will begin coverage of Nigeria's premier female basketball league in the knockout stages on Wednesday, 18th June with two classification games at 2 and 4pm respectively, before shifting focus to Thursday's Semifinal battle at 3 and 5pm.
The much anticipated maiden Zenith Bank Female ALL STAR Game will Jump Ball at 4pm on friday 2oth June. Before the "Grand Finale" the crowning of the 2014 champions on Saturday, 21st June at 4pm after the 3rd place playoff game has been decided at 1pm the same day.
SuperSport is billed air a total of 8 Live games in 4 days as opposed to last season where only the final match was televised Live.
EGYPT,S ASSAR
On his first visit to Nigeria in 2013, Egypt’s Omar Assar enjoyed support from the Lagos fans and the African champion believes that this will aid his quest for honours at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)-sanctioned Lagos World Tour tagged Nigeria Open.
The 2013 Lagos Classics winner is however relying on warm reception he got during his maiden visit to Nigeria.
“I enjoyed Lagos Classics 2013 so much during my first time in Nigeria and I was impressed with the beauty of Lagos and the relaxing mood. I was also was impressed by the enormous support I got from the spectators and table tennis fans in Nigeria. I liked it because I was well known in Lagos during and after the competition too. Their sportsmanship spirit thrilled me as they came to the stadium to enjoy good game regardless of who was winning. I am looking forward to enjoy Lagos 2014 again with good performance,” Assar said.
He however, expressed optimism that the eight-man Egyptian team would put up a good show. “Egypt will participate with the best team and I am sure we are going to face many good teams including Nigeria. I really do hope that all the Egyptian players have prepared well for Lagos 2014 to be able to have good tournament,” he said.
For him, he hopes to enjoy himself as well be among the top players. His words: “My personal target is to enjoy Lagos and to play a nice table tennis.”
Assar, who is at present on a 20-day training tour of China, could not forget in a hurry the hospitality he got from the organisers in 2013.
He said: “The reception in 2013 was awesome and I think the organization was so good coupled with the efforts by the media team in helping me to stay focused and to solve any problem. I could recall that I fell sick at the start of the competition and the organisers helped me to get back very fast. I will remain grateful to the President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) for his care last year and also in Tokyo, Japan, he was so interested to know if I will come this year.”
He described Nigerian players as skillful, “I personally have a respect for all Nigerian players -men, women and coaches because of the way they comported themselves during the 2013 edition of the competition,” he added.
The 2013 Lagos Classics winner is however relying on warm reception he got during his maiden visit to Nigeria.
“I enjoyed Lagos Classics 2013 so much during my first time in Nigeria and I was impressed with the beauty of Lagos and the relaxing mood. I was also was impressed by the enormous support I got from the spectators and table tennis fans in Nigeria. I liked it because I was well known in Lagos during and after the competition too. Their sportsmanship spirit thrilled me as they came to the stadium to enjoy good game regardless of who was winning. I am looking forward to enjoy Lagos 2014 again with good performance,” Assar said.
He however, expressed optimism that the eight-man Egyptian team would put up a good show. “Egypt will participate with the best team and I am sure we are going to face many good teams including Nigeria. I really do hope that all the Egyptian players have prepared well for Lagos 2014 to be able to have good tournament,” he said.
For him, he hopes to enjoy himself as well be among the top players. His words: “My personal target is to enjoy Lagos and to play a nice table tennis.”
Assar, who is at present on a 20-day training tour of China, could not forget in a hurry the hospitality he got from the organisers in 2013.
He said: “The reception in 2013 was awesome and I think the organization was so good coupled with the efforts by the media team in helping me to stay focused and to solve any problem. I could recall that I fell sick at the start of the competition and the organisers helped me to get back very fast. I will remain grateful to the President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) for his care last year and also in Tokyo, Japan, he was so interested to know if I will come this year.”
He described Nigerian players as skillful, “I personally have a respect for all Nigerian players -men, women and coaches because of the way they comported themselves during the 2013 edition of the competition,” he added.
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