This year edition of Reis Table Tennis Tournament which is the second will serve off twenty-fourth to twenty-seventh May.
According to organisers of the tournament, unprecedent number of players are expected in this year’s edition as participants are expected nationwide.
Its Founder and Convener, Olaseni Reis revealed this at a media News Briefing, disclosed that the competition will be in different categories which includes male, female, cadet, veterans and Eko Club members.
Reis said participants would be competing in six categories, with the veterans presenting 64 players, while Eko Club presenting 32 players.
According to him, the veteran category is a way of giving back to those that have played the game in the past.
In his words, they will adopt 10 stars that emerge from this year’s competition, two talents would also be sent to the academy and would be placed on scholarship.
Reis, an engineer hinted that all hands are on deck to make the championship supersedes the previous edition as the ultimate aim of the tournament is to build lives through sports.
For him, the tourney is an initiative conceived to use the sport of table tennis as a rallying point for social engagement and youth development, adding it is a platform for young people to showcase their skills, develop their potential and promote values that chisel out individuals that can be further nurtured into assets to the development of the sport at the grassroots level and ultimately the nation Nigeria.
He said this year’s edition will help promote lads and lead to scholarship level, as they have opened a trust fund for ten outstanding players and it will go a long way.
The winner of this year’s edition, he revealed will see the male winner walk away with the sum of N250,000 while the female will bag N150,000.
The star prize winner of this year’s edition is 250 thousand Naira, while quarter finalists would also be paid handsomely for the four-day event.
Highlighting the mission of the tournament, Abimbola Reis said their mission is to develop and promote healthy competition among young individuals while instilling positive values that will shape their future and make them assets to the development of the sport at the grassroots level.
In her words, “our foundation is driven by the belief that sports can be a force for positive change in our society and that young people have the potential to be powerful agents of change.
Abimbola noted that the foundation was committed to creating supportive and inclusive environment that encourages young players to develop their skills, build their confidence and become leaders in their communities.
She expressed gratitude to Eko Club for providing the facility for free and Aruna Qadri for providing free training.
Chairman, Eko Club, Razaak Amodu stated that members of the club are ready to show support and participate in the competition.
He said they club and its members are also involved due to the importance of sports, saying they are battle ready to clinch any available trophy.
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