Asoju Oba Cup serves
off November 24
Emeka Onwuakagba
The 40th Annual
Asoju Oba Cup has been fixed to hold from November 24-28 at the
Mobolaji Johnson sports centre, Rowe park Yaba Lagos.
Sponsor of the
championship, Chief Molade Okoya Thomas, who disclosed this at a
media briefing in Lagos, said that the eventual champions that
will emerge at the end of the weeklong championship in both the
ladies and men’s singles will go home with a saloon car each
while other cash prizes and trophies will also be won.
He also declared his
commitment to the development of the game and hoped that the
champions that will emerge in this year’s edition will make
Nigeria proud at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
"This year, Nigeria
recorded silver medals in football and long jump event at the
2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Our prayer is that in the next
Olympics, with good preparation, we shall record our first gold
medal in table tennis. I believe that the winner shall be a
product of this year’s Asoju-Oba Championship," he said.
17 titles will be at stake
in three categories; Cadet, Junior and Senior as well as Sports
Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) event.
Also speaking at the
event, Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social
Development, Prince Ademola Adeniji- Adele commended Chief Okoya-
Thomas for his immense contribution to the development of sports
in the country and described the Asoju-Oba Table tennis
championship as the longest sponsored event in the state.
This year’s event gives me
a lot of emotion because the Oba has done so much for table
tennis, other sports and government as a whole.
I pray that the
competition will go national with the help of our sports loving
governor, Babatunde Fashola," he said.
