By Kelvin Ololo
The Cross River State representative Commissioner on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Rt. Hon. Duke Orok, has expressed concern over the persistent lack of sponsorship for sports development in the state, despite the abundance of talent and enthusiasm among young athletes.
Orok spoke at the closing ceremony of the Calabar Table Tennis Tournament, hosted by the Cross River State Table Tennis Association at the Table Tennis Club House, U.J. Esuene Stadium, over the weekend.
He told journalists that the competition once again highlighted the wide gap between the readiness of youths to participate in competitive sports and the absence of adequate financial support to sustain and expand such initiatives.
He noted that talent development is required across all 38 sports in the state, lamenting that funding challenges have forced many sports associations to rely largely on members’ contributions due to insufficient government support.
However, Orok cited table tennis as a success story for Cross River State, pointing out that the state has recorded its highest medal haul in the sport. He stressed the importance of deliberate investment in younger players, especially as older athletes gradually exit competitive sports.
In the same vein, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Calabar Table Tennis Challenge, Mr. Akintola Olatunde John, said the association viewed the tournament as a way of giving back to the society by grooming young athletes to fill the vacuum left by retiring players.
“So we believe that we have gained from this game and this is our way of contributing back, giving back to the society by growing youth and engaging them through table tennis. Its primary goal is to ensure the sport’s longevity by grooming younger players to ‘take over the baton’ from older generations, preventing the game from dying out in Cross River and Nigeria,” he said.
He explained that the competition was driven by passion for table tennis and a strong commitment to youth development, noting that the challenge was financed through voluntary donations from lovers of the sport rather than government funding.
Over the years, the tournament has produced notable champions, including Orok Etim, now playing professionally in Italy; Cecilia, currently based in the United States; Offiong Edem; Hope Udoaka, Nigeria’s current number one player; and the winner of this year’s championship, Samuel Boboye.
A total of 10 states participated in this year’s edition, competing in various categories including girls and boys cadet, men, women and veterans events.
The tournament climaxed with the presentation of medals and cash prizes to winners across the different categories.
