One of the sports on life support in Nigeria is table tennis. The fortunes of the ping pong game in Nigeria have plummeted over the years, even with the annual Asoju-Oba Table Tennis Championship sponsored by Molade Okoya-Thomas in Lagos.
Kasali Lasisi
And today, one of the best hands on the continent in the late 1970s, Kasali Lasisi, is not a happy man. His unhappiness has nothing to do with his welfare, but with the neglect and non-recognition of past heroes that did the country proud in table tennis.
Lasisi was the first Nigerian to win African men’s singles title and was unbeaten until he retired in 1981 and took up coaching.
Unimpressed with the lack of recognition for great table tennis players of yore, Lasisi said: “We are not practising the words in our national anthem which reads in part that the ‘labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain’.
“In many countries, when you are a champion, the country recognises you and gives you all the honour; but the reverse is the case here in Nigeria.
“I do appreciate what the Ministry of Sports did for me and some others in Abuja after the country hosted the All Africa Games in 2003 organised by COJA where I was given a merit award.
“But for a federation, the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) where I served very well and as a champion for many years, not recognising our contributions in the past is disheartening.”
Lasisi, who was the first Nigerian to win the Africa’s men singles title in Cotonou, Benin Republic, in 1976, was in the stands and in the midst of spectators that watched the just concluded International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour.
“It is very sad. Not even an opportunity for someone like me to share my experience with the up-and-coming players or participate in some of the events of the federation. When the federation fails to recognise your contributions, what can the national do?” he asked rhetorically.
Apart from being the first Nigerian to win Africa’s men singles title, Lasisi has also won lot of laurels for the country including three gold medals in Algiers, Algeria, in 1978 and was ranked 12th in the world in 1979 during a championship in Hong Kong.
“During my time between 1970 and 1980, there was no money to show for your efforts at the end of a competition, but medals.
“The medals gave us joy and the zeal to do more for the country. In a year, you can travel 12 times for competitions from one country to another. The exposure was there and we also enjoyed travelling tickets for competitions.
“Instead of monetary benefits, we were gaining experience and exposure, and at the end, we would go home with branded T-shirts and products from the sponsoring companies among others.”
He, however, regretted the absence of monetary rewards during his playing days.
“Perhaps, apart from the non-recognition by NTTF for past heroes, the only regret is that we didn’t enjoy all these monetary rewards during our days,” he said.
He recalled some of his memorable experiences during his playing days, but was quick to pick two among several which he said would linger for long in his memories.
“There were many memorable experiences, but two are very dear to my heart till today. First was during the All Africa Games in 1973 which the country hosted in Lagos. After qualifying for the third round of the men’s singles event, I was paired against the defending champion, Emmanuel Kwanye of Ghana.
“It was a tough encounter and many thought I would be a pushover for him; but I proved bookmakers wrong by winning the game.
“The second was during the All Africa Table Tennis Championship in 1976 where I defeated fellow countryman, Fatai Ayinde, in the final to win the men’s singles title,” he said.
He called on the authorities to do more in terms of discovering new and hidden talents for the country, to take over from the ageing ones.
“We need to do more and prepare very well for the future. Other African countries are gradually catching up with us, especially the North Africans and the Egyptians in particular.
“We need to engage our players with series of competitions that would keep them busy throughout the year. Apart from the annual Asoju-Oba Table Tennis Championship in Lagos, there is hardly any other competition for the young players. This is not good for us if we must and really want to develop the game from where it is now,” said Lasisi who was once technical adviser for Congo Brazzaville and helped developed the game of tennis in that country between 2004 and 2013 before he eventually returned to Nigeria last year.
