Hope Udoaka, a talented young table tennis player, emerged as the gold medalist at the highly competitive Renewed Hope Table Tennis Invitational Challenge held at the Indoor Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Despite facing tough opponents from across the country, Udoaka, representing Cross River, showed incredible determination and skill to defeat Shukurat Aiyelabegan from Kwara in the final by three sets to one.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar, Udoaka revealed that she had to face the tournament without a coach or any accommodation.
This revelation is quite surprising and speaks volumes about Udoaka’s resilience and self-reliance as a player.
She also had to coach herself while playing and was able to defeat a current and a former national team player, Rashidat Ogundele from Delta, and Bose Odunsanya of Lagos in the quarter and semi-finals, respectively.
Udoaka’s impressive victory at the Renewed Hope tournament follows her earlier successes, including winning two gold medals at the West Africa University Games and a gold medal in the Michael and Felicia Alabi Table Tennis Championship.
However, despite her achievements, Udoaka revealed that she had no support from her state and had to invest all the allowance she received from the West Africa University Games to participate in the Renewed Hope competition.
She arrived in Lagos two days before the tournament to acclimatize but had no accommodation and was sleeping with other states’ contingents.
Udoaka’s story highlights the challenges faced by upcoming players who lack support from their states and other sources.
To do well, players need support to get good rackets, balls, tables for training, and sponsorship to participate in competitions.
It is the only way they can grow and become successful in the sport.
Udoaka commended some of the foreign-based stars who came back home and encouraged upcoming players with facilities and competitions while appealing to state governments to follow suit.
The Renewed Hope Table Tennis Championship, organized by the National Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), was held on December 23 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall.
This tournament provided an excellent platform for talented young players like Udoaka to showcase their skills and compete with some of the best players in the country.