Posted by By Joe APU on
A total of 30 coaches drawn from around the federation are in Lagos for the first International Olympic Committee (IOC) solidarity course.....
A total of 30 coaches drawn from around the federation are in Lagos for the first International Olympic Committee (IOC) solidarity course on table tennis, holding at the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) secretariat and the Indoor hall of the Lagos National Stadium.
The event, expected to start today (Tuesday) would end August 4 with the coaches taking lessons theoretically and having practical sessions. The course, which is being conducted by an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) instructor, Emmanuel Christensson from Sweden, is expected to give the coaches a first hand information on the latest rules and techniques of the game.
According to National table tennis Coach, Babatunde Obisanya who himself has benefitted from such a course, the event is part of plans to bring the game of table tennis back to the front burner of Nigerian sports.
' This course is meant to help develop the trainers trainer on the new technics of the game and help develop the coaches so that they can build more talents that can take over from our ageing stars.
'There's need for the coaches to know how best to apply the right techniques and skills in the game which will, in the long run, give their players better knowledge of the game and prepare them for the task ahead. The game of table tennis is changing and we cannot afford to be left behind, that is why this IOC solidarity course is coming at an ample time, which will benefit all of us.
The 30 coaches drawn for this course cut across the military, the private sector and around the federation. In addition, there are four female that are in attendance, in line with the status of the IOC which stipulates that the women folk be given equal opportunity to be part of the game.
As you know, Sweden, where the instructor comes from, is a world power in table tennis and that is why we have taken time in selecting the coaches in attending this course. The idea behind it is to help our coaches at all levels to be equipped with the latest rules of the game," he said.
NOC Public Relations Officer, Tony Nezianya, while praising the initiative of the IOC said the programme is just one of the many lined up by the IOC to help Nigerian sports fall in line with the international rules and standards of the games.