We plan to recreate good old days of Nigerian Table Tennis, says Edun

Yemi Edun

To some enthusiasts, table tennis is more than just a game. It is a way of life that can become a means of livelihood if well managed. In Nigeria, where thousands of children love the ping pong game, well thought out programmes and management of the diverse resources can elevate the country to the elite class of international table tennis community.

Such is the desire of United Kingdom-based Nigerian property expert, Yemi Edun, who is the managing director and founder of Daniel Ford International. Edun has decided to put his money where his mouth is by financing and sponsoring table tennis to help the budding talents scattered across the country find avenues to grow their talents.

Through the two-day maiden Daniel Ford International Elite Youth Championships scheduled for Lagos on December 21 and 22, Edun wants to leverage on his experience as a child in the Surulere area of Lagos, where the sport was popular among the residents, to raise new stars for the country.

Speaking on his sojourn into table tennis sponsorship, Edun said he wants to recreate the opportunities children of the 1970s up to late 1990s had, which gave them opportunity to become international table tennis stars.

“Table tennis was widely played at homes and on the streets growing up, but I also lived in Surulere, which was and still is, to some extent, the sports capital of Nigeria. In fact, the National Stadium is also known as Sports City, and my growth in this section of the country made me acutely aware of all things sport, including table tennis.
“Aside from that, I grew up during a period when table tennis legends like Atanda Musa and Yomi Bankole were routinely featured on the front pages of national newspapers.
“Table tennis was an