| 30 coaches storm Lagos
for IOC table tennis course
By Joe APU
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
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. |
