Nigeria's former national table tennis champion, Kasali Lasisi, has revealed that the Kwara State government is building a table tennis academy in Ilorin to arrest the slide in the fortune of the game.

Lasisi, who says he is saddened by the poor state of the game in the country, which used to make Nigeria, the number one nation in Africa, adds that the academy would be opened in February.

The former national captain and coach, who is particularly worried that such players as Segun Toriola and Funke Oshonaike are still dominating the game after over 20 years at the top, adds that such veterans' continued presence in the national testify to the poor state of the game.

"What we want to do is to ensure that we have young players top replace the ageing ones at all times, and the only way to do that is to go to the grassroots to fish out talents.

"I am amazed to see the likes of Toriola (Segun), Funke Oshonaike still playing, because these are tennis players discovered when I was around.

"It is embarrassing that they are still playing for the national team. It is also shameful that Nigeria returned from the last Olympics in London without a medal in a country that is endowed with abundant sporting talents."

Throwing more light on the proposed academy, Lasisi said, "Right now, the project is being supported by the Kwara State government; and it will be formally launched in February 2013 in Ilorin."