Tennis News of Friday, 28 February 2014
Source: Graphic Online
The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Nii Lante Vanderpuije, has pledged to support former national table tennis star Eric Amoah, in his quest to revive the fortunes of the sport in the country.
In line with his avowed determination to support the retired national star, Mr Vanderpuije has accepted to be a patron of the Eric Amoah Table Tennis Foundation and is ready to go to any length to help Amoah revive the sport through regular competitions and clinics for budding stars across the country.
“Eric has started something wonderful and we must support him,” said the deputy minister when he launched at the Accra Stadium yesterday the second edition of the National Under-15 Championships organised by the Eric Amoah Table Tennis Foundation in partnership with the Ghana Tennis Association.
Mr Vanderpuije, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodoo Constituency, promised to contribute his widow’s mite towards the success of the competition with an undisclosed amount and table tennis equipment.
The championship comes off on Saturday, March 8, at the RLG-Hathiramani Hall of the Accra Stadium and is open to under-15 players (boys and girls). In addition, there will be a special competition for chief executives of corporate bodies with an aim to revive the spirit of competition among corporate executives who were once active table tennis players in their youth.
The Championship organiser, Eric Amoah, expressed appreciation to coaches who guided his career from his youthful days and promised to do everything within his control to revive the sport.
“I worked very hard to get to the top but I could not have done it without my coaches. Through table tennis I had a scholarship for my education, and so this game took me very far. Because of this I will do everything within my power to raise ping-pong once again,” assured Amoah.
The national table tennis coach, Anthony Owusu-Ansah, was full of praise for how far the championship had brought Ghanaian table tennis, saying last year’s competition produced three players who won medals at the African U-15 Championships in Cote d’Ivoire.