Date: 2017-04-11

Facts emerged yesterday that three of the 10-man team that missed the 2017 ITTF African Junior Championships holding in Tunis had to skip examinations to be part of the training in readiness for the tournament.

The team was supposed to travel last week for the championship which serves as qualifiers for the ITTF World Junior Championship and World Cadet Challenge but the inability of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to make fund available prevented them from being part of the championship.

NationSport learnt that the trio of Taiwo Matti, Iyanuoluwa Falana and Rofiat Jimoh were supposed to seat for the end of the term examination in Ondo and Kwara but had to skip to be part of the final training camp in Lagos but with their inability to be part of the Tunisia tournament, the players cried profusely when they were decamped at the weekend.

One of the members of the team, Abayomi Animasahun told NationSport that aside the psychological breakdown suffered by the players, the players also suffered academics setback after missing the second term examinations.

"I think the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) really tried for us by preparing us for the championship with all our equipment and kits provided while we were in camp and they were only waiting for the ministry to provide the logistics for the trip. Unfortunately, we were only told that the trip would not be possible on Friday after several attempts to secure flight tickets for the team failed," he said.

Animasahun, who was pained by the development, however, said that this would prevent them from competing internationally this year. "We would not be playing any international competitions this year because attending the tournament would have afforded us the opportunity to qualify for the World Junior Championship while I was also looking forward to make the African team for the World Cadet Challenge after I narrowly missed out last year in Algiers," the teenager sensation lamented.