Sports
THE Chairman of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), South-South zone, Mr Orok Duke, has advised government at all levels to use sports as a means of fighting insecurity in the country.
Duke, who led the table tennis team from Cross River to the ongoing National Sports Festival #Edo2020, spoke in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin.
He said that youths engagement in sports was one of the solutions to addressing the issue of insecurity in the country.
According to him, with good policies and political will for massive engagement of youths, the rising insecurity bedevilling the country would be a thing of the past.
“Using sports to help people, especially youths, has proven to be an effective tool in keeping them away from crime,” he said.
Duke added that there was need for the stakeholders, including government, to be more proactive on the issues regarding sports development in the country.
Citing the example of Germany and Japan dominating table tennis in global competitions, he added that such feat could only be attained with determination and focus.
When asked of the chances of the table tennis players winning medals at the forthcoming Olympics in Tokyo, Duke explained that the Nigeria Table Tennis players needed to do more if they must win any medal.
He explained that the country was yet to articulate and implement a deliberate sports policy which can catapult her to such an enviable height.
He called on the Federal Government to enact relevant laws which would compel both national and multinational investors to contribute their quota towards the development of sports in the country.
Duke also disclosed that he would sponsor six male and four females to the table tennis university in China for relevant skills and talents which can propelled them to become global rated players.
When asked of the standard of the players at the ongoing National Sports Festival, he said: “there must be discovery of new players, and that is one of the reasons why the old players must give way for the younger ones to be exposed to limelight”.
He congratulated Vivian Oku from team Cross River for winning a bronze medal in the table tennis category so far.
NAN
– Apr. 14, 2021 @ 18:45 GMT
Tags: Sport: Youths engagement panacea to insecurity- NTTF official
