From Abel Zwanke, Lafia
Aspirant for the North Central Zonal Representative seat in the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Dr. Shaibu Mohammed, has unveiled a comprehensive plan to revive table tennis in the region through infrastructural upgrades, grassroots talent discovery and coach development.
Dr. Mohammed, who is also Chairman of the Kogi State Table Tennis Association, disclosed this during a telephone interview with sports journalists on Monday, while highlighting the challenges facing the sport in the North Central zone.
“The imbalance we see in national representation, with the South dominating the sport, is largely due to better infrastructure and consistent investment from both the public and private sectors,” he stated.
According to him, the poor state of facilities in the North Central region has stunted the growth of the sport and discouraged participation at both junior and senior levels. He recalled that a personal tour of the region three years ago revealed the extent of infrastructural decay in local sports facilities.
“That tour opened my eyes to the need for urgent intervention. It was what inspired the launch of the Shaibu D. Mohammed Table Tennis Tournament, which has since become a yearly event across North Central states,” he said.
Dr. Mohammed noted that the tournament is already yielding results, with five players, including Joshua Samuel, now part of the national team. Samuel has also qualified to represent Africa in upcoming international competitions.
Beyond tournaments, Dr. Mohammed said he is focused on building sustainable structures by partnering with sports enthusiasts and corporate organisations to upgrade and build new table tennis facilities across the zone.
On grassroots development, he revealed that plans are underway to work closely with local governments and school administrators to include table tennis in public school inter-house sports competitions.
“This approach will expose more young people to the game and help us identify and nurture talents early. We will engage educational policymakers and stakeholders to make this initiative part of school sports programming,” he explained.
Dr. Mohammed also emphasised the importance of coaches in developing elite athletes, revealing that he would allocate 40% of federation funding to support coaches and sports administrators through training and welfare packages.
“We cannot build a strong table tennis culture without empowering our coaches. Their role in identifying, training and mentoring players is critical,” he added.
He further pledged to lobby for at least four major table tennis tournaments to be hosted annually within the region to increase competitive exposure and performance levels.
Dr. Mohammed concluded by calling on the media to support the sport through consistent coverage, which he said is vital for player visibility and national selection.
“The media plays a key role in telling our success stories and shining the spotlight on talented players. We are counting on your support to grow table tennis in the North Central zone,” he said.
