Former Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital and veteran table tennis player, Dr Zacheus Olusegun Ajuwon is convinced the Team Nigeria table tennis contingent to the forthcoming London 2012 Olympic Games is capable of making it to the podium thereby opening up the possibilities of winning at least a medal.
Ajuwon, founder and sponsor of Aso Table Tennis Club (ATTC), believes the moribund state of table tennis in the country will soon be a thing of the past, noting that the nation? is working toward reclaiming its glorious era in the game of racket. “When you look at it from the global perspective there are many things that are happening this year.
When I started to know number our population was just 55 million and now we are talking of 167 million. That hasn’t helped much and almost everything that used be? to very good are no longer so. But with? the technology now in place and if we can make better use of ITC, thing would start to improve again.
“I am supposed to be marking my 50th birthday this week and because I have so many friends who can bankroll whatever I want do, I decided that instead? of a social bash of drinking, dancing and displaying of influence, we should use this period of thanking God to celebrate something that will be of immense benefit to the generality of the nation and youths in particular. So, I believe with this we would start to generate interest in the game of table tennis again.
“We are going to the Olympics and I strongly believe that we would regain our position in the game of table tennis. Egypt took over from us as number one? in Africa but we will regain it from them this time around. With developmental programmes, scout for young talents, we will go places. Egypt use to give us tough time but will comeback from London with at least one Olympics medal.
Speaking on the genesis of the annual Ajuwon Table Tennis championship, he said the event that started like hobby players club has metamorphosised into a full blown annual tournament. “We struggled then to find a name for the club, the best we could get was table tennis hobby players club. We didn’t attempt to register it with? CAC.
The first four editions was held at State House Clinic and the prize then was a trophy and a token amount. The 5th was held at the Abuja indoor sports hall and there was improvement. Primary and secondary school pupils were invited and about 15 school sent participants. We discovered three boys and five girls with potential and started grooming them.
“This time, the original TTHP club becomes submerged in the group of veteran table tennis enthusiasts located at the Old Parade Ground. The 2011 edition saw the introduction of veterans and professional table tennis players from six states of the north central zone. And here come another edition which we are now competing for new national ranking. 10 states from north and FCT are taking part,” he said.