Nigeria’s Table Tennis Legend, Bose Kaffo has taken the development of Table Tennis to rural area with focus on unearthing new talents, Sports247 reports.
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With music flowing out of the big speakers mounted at strategic corners on the dusty Irede street in Okerube-Abaranje around Ikotun in downtown Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, participants who were thrilled at the maiden Sports Fiesta organised by Bose Kaffo Innovations have appealed for more in the New Year.
Children, right from age eight moved joyfully to the rhythm as they engaged one another in table tennis, basketball and snooker despite the heat from searing sun.
Participants from the street and it’s adjoining areas as well as passerby’s jumped on the opportunity at participating in different sports at no fee.
While some adults including women tried to roll back the years with some nostalgic strokes on the boards, the children found their levels on the mini-table tennis setups provided by the High Performance expert.
Wheelchair basketballers also got on the act with a demonstration game.
It was the first of experience for many who were awed by the presence of the 5-time Olympics legend who brought sports with entertainment right to their doorsteps.
Sports Fiesta appeared to have hit the soft spot of an area where constant hustling on the streets and the rat-race for daily needs have deprived the residents of the awareness about their innate talents.
Birthing a sports fiesta in this locality known for other different activities was according to some observers was like making an oasis in the desert.
For Bose Kaffo who became the first woman on the continent to participate in five Olympics, watching the raw joy and excitement on their faces described the atmosphere as soul-satisfying.
On the sideline, adults were given medical support by Zeniva Pharmacy who checked their sugar level and also provided antimalarial drugs.
As time winds down and the volunteers signalled for all activities to end, most of the participants wore long faces as they stopped reluctantly while appealling for more.
The hunger has been ignited as it was indeed an eye-opening event.
“I enjoyed the Sports Festival and it was very amazing!” Said Farouk a teenager. “I have not seen something like this before.”
” This is my first time of seeing something like this right on our street. I’m very happy and excited. This is going to help me to be a sportsman and I thank the sponsor of Sports Fiesta.”
The Amazon has been so resolute with her mission at sparking a change of awareness right at the lowest rung of the country’s pool of talents.
According to the Sports Ethics and Integrity expert, her plan, barring any financial limitations is to expand the impactful outdoor programme to different areas of the state where it’s teeming young and restless populace in the suburbs yearn for sporting platforms to display their hidden talents.
“This is fulfilling! Can you see how excited they are? This my dream has been in the works for some years now and I’m glad that it’s eliciting this reaction from them.
“They’ve played table tennis, basketball and snooker. You know, this is how you activate interest among the young ones who could be superstars in the nearest future. With more support we hope to do more ” she stated.
