N6.5m for grab at Lagos International Table Tennis Classics

Over N6.5 million will be for grab as the total prize money at the maiden Lagos International Table Tennis Classics holding in Lagos next month.
With the winner in the men and singles event carting home N.8 million and N.6 million as the star prize, all players that make it to the round of 16 will also get cash reward for their performance.
The tournament has gotten the approval of International Table Tennis Federation and Africa Table Tennis Federation as it is the highest prize money tournament in Africa, being organized by the Main Organising Committee of Lagos International Sports Classics in collaboration with the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation.
With players competing in the senior and junior categories made up of 10 events, while the tournament will be staged according to ITTF and ATTF rules.
For ATTF President, Khaled El-Salhy, he lauded the board of NTTF for staging tournament, while disclosing that Nigeria might be considered for major tournament in 2014.
“We will like to use this event as a test for ITTF/ATTF title event in the near future. ITTF/ATTF is looking to organize a brand new event next year tagged “2014 ITTF-Africa Top 16 Cup” which should be in the second half of June 2014 as qualification for ITTF World Cups next year, and we believe it will be good to start this competition in Nigeria. As I am hoping for a successful 2013, as well as envisaging that the Lagos International Classics will be among the ITTF World Tour Calendar in 2014 and this is to prove to ITTF that Africa could host sanctioned events in a professional way,” the ATTF boss said.
However, chairman of the Main Organising Committee and President of NTTF, Wahid Oshodi, said that the championship is open to all ITTF affiliated associations, while junior events will be for players born on or after January 1, 1995, while hoping that more players will be unearthed through the competition.