The 3-day Offiong Edem Foundation Table tennis Talent hunt event, held at the Cross River State Table tennis indoor sports Hall, U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar,has ended in Calabar with many great talents discovered.
Our reporter, who monitored the Talent Hunt event, said Matthew John of Smash Trade Table Tennis Academy, Yenegoa, Bayelsa State emerged the overall champion.
Matthew John smashed his opponent, Bright Aniekan of Ultra Kings Table Tennis Academy of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State by four sets to nil in the final of the senior boys category.
In the final of the Senior girls category, Elizabeth Emenike of Abia State out smashed Vivian Ekpenyong Oku of Ultra King Table Tennis club of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State by four sets to one.
Speaking during the final of the closing ceremony, the Chairman of the Occasion, High Chief Cyril Anthony Asuquo lauded the initiative of the former African Champion and five times Olympian for engaging the youths positively devoid of negative and unproductive vices.
The Chairman of the Cross River State Community Social Development Agency called on other sportsmen and women and sports philanthropists to emulate the gesture of the former Olympian by organizing more sporting competitions in order to keep the youths busy and to showcase their talents.
The special guest and chairman Ultrafit Table Tennis Academy, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mfon Monday Ekpo poured encomiums on the former African champion, Offiong Edem, for organizing a table tennis programme for the teeming youths in the South South and South-east region of the country.
Mr. Ekpo described as fantastic the manner the grassroots table tennis event was organised and promised to partner with Offiong Edem Foundation in subsequent ones
In her remarks, the sponsor and initiator of the Table Tennis Talent Hunt event, Offiong Edem revealed that she organized the event in order to give back to the sports that launched her into illustrious career while also providing a platform for the discovery and development of young Table Tennis players.
She said plans were under way to ensure that the event would be a National competition where all thirty six states of the federation including F.C.T Abuja, would complete in subsequent edition.
Highpoints of the Offiong Edem Table Tennis Talent hunt programme was the presentation of medals and cash prizes to the winners in the boys and girls categories as well as under fifteen, thirteen and eleven categories.
A total of fifteen states participated in the three days Table Tennis Talent hunt programme.
