Table Tennis: Adebakin, Akanbi to feature in Aruna national open contest

Tobi Adebakin and Kehinde Akanbi are among the top players who have expressed interest to be part of the third Quadri Aruna national table tennis open just as they are ready to reclaim the titles they won at the maiden edition in 2021.

The 2023 edition is scheduled to hold from November 29 to December 3 at Eko Club in Lagos.

READ ALSO: Aruna drops, Mati, Omotayo move up in ITTF Ranking

The tournament which started as a cadet tournament has grown to become a national open for senior, junior and cadet players within and outside Lagos state.

According to the coordinator of the tournament, Ganiat Aruna, the essence of the championships was to unearth new talents that would step into the shoes of African champion Quadri Aruna in near future.

“Our aim is to discover more talents by catching them at a younger age as well as to discover more talents like Quadri Aruna in the near future. We hope to help improve the physical fitness and health of children to maintain a healthy lifestyle through table tennis by preventing a range of health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in children as it has increased dramatically in recent decades,” she said.

“We also want to develop valuable teamwork and leadership skills that can help foster a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect among team members as well as build critical skills such as problem-solving, decision-making and conflict resolution to prepare to lead in the society,” the former national junior champion said.