By Mazi Godwin Wambebe
It was a moment of joy and fulfilment for players, coaches, board members, fans, supporters, and table tennis families in Kogi State on Sunday, 28th December 2025, at the phase two sports centre in Lokoja, when the Association celebrated and rewarded its players and Coaches who were Outstanding in their performances in 2025.
No doubt 2025 was an Outstanding and remarkable year for Kogi State table tennis as quite an appreciable number of its players won honours and laurels in major championships they participated in ranging from the National youth games in Asaba, Delta State where Kogi State led the overall Table in Table Tennis to the National School racket games, Nimota Alia championships, Asoju Oba National championships and the Adegboyega Efunkoya National championship all in Lagos amongst many other outings across the country and overseas.
The high point of these whole successes in the year 2025 was Kogi born Samson Joshua, who represented Africa at the world hope week challenge in Sheffield, United Kingdom, While young and enterprising female champion from the state, Ize Sezuo wrapped up the outgone year winning the award of the most improved female player in Nigeria while coach Friday Abah led the National table tennis squad to the African Youth games in Angola where Nigeria won a Gold and Bronze medals.
Vice Chairman Kogi State Table Tennis Association Honourable Aliu Nda Salami, who’s also the Chief Economic Adviser to the executive governor of Kogi State doled out the sum of 2.5 million Naira as a promise to be fulfilled to the Association in February,2026 for the purchase of Table tennis equipment for the newly built /refurbished indoor hall at the sport centre by ALBARKA RELIEF FOUNDATION.
Chairman Kogi State Table Tennis Association Dr Shaibu D Mohammed was given an award of service to humanity for his exceeding and immense contributions to the development of the game in the state, the growth of the association and his financial assistance to the development of the state players while Albarka Relief Foundation was also awarded for turning around the fortune of the infrastructure that used to look like a poultry into a world standard table tennis hall.
Hon Aliu Nda Salami, who represented the chairman, appreciated the association board members, players, and coaches for an outstanding and stellar year that saw them win a handful of medals outside the state. He promised to see to the continuous development of the young gifted players from kogi State, especially in 2026 by promising to push one of the state players for a government funded university scholarship to China.
The association rewarded 8 players who were most active and their coaches with handsome cash incentives as a way of saying thank you for a stellar performance in 2025, and an encouragement and motivation to do more in 2026.
Those who graced the event include Hon. Aliu Nda Salami, vice chairman of the association, Mallam Abdullahi Ubaida, the other vice chairman, Mr John Femi, representative of Albarka relief foundation, representative of the Director Kogi state sport council a host of dignitaries from the state’s table tennis fraternity.
Meanwhile,it was also announced that the DR. SHAIBU D MOHAMMED ANNUAL NORTH CENTRAL COMPETITION was postponed as a result of many other National tournaments that took place in Lagos around the same time it was to be held,it was also however announced that a New date shall be communicated soon to ensure it takes place in the first quarter of 2026.
