By George Effiong-Fuji
Fans and followers of table tennis in Calabar, the Cross River State capital have every reason to be excited at the prospect of seeing veterans and one of the game’s most iconic figures, Richard “Lefty” Edem emerge from retirement to compete in the much anticipated Governor Prince Otu Veteran Sports Championship, slated to hold in the magnificent U.J. Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar from 2nd August, 2025.
Richard Edem, fondly referred to as ‘Coach’ or ‘Lefty’ by his admirers and fans is a talented sportsman who gained popularity as a footballer in the 70s and 80s, plying his trade as an attacking right winger for clubs such as Customs FC, Shell of Port Harcourt, and the defunct Goffi Babes of Calabar respectively. But, as a natural sports talent, he also shone in table tennis and represented Cross River State at various editions of National Sports Festivals in the 80s and won laurels for the state.
Due to Lefty’s calm, jovial, friendly disposition, and interest in youths’ development through sports, he took up the challenge of inculcating his life-long Pin Pong skills in the youths. His foray into table tennis coaching yielded positive results as his female proteges of Offiong Edem, Cecilia Otu, Janet Udoka and others dominated Nigeria’s and Africa’s continental table tennis landscape by competing and winning more than one hundred medals for the state in the late 90s and 2000s. Noteworthy to state that this feat was accomplished with the multidimensional support and leadership of the then Chairman of Cross River State Table Tennis Association, Right Honorable Orok Otu Duke.
As a proverbial golden fish with no hiding place, Lefty’s dedication to the game, and talent development was subsequently spotted and rewarded with a callup to the national table tennis camp in 2002 to help guide and further nurture his products, Offiong Edem, Cecilia Otu, and others in International games. It is on record that his long national coaching career made him travel around the world to compete in various table tennis competitions like World Youth Championships, World Table Tennis Championships, Africa Games, Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, 2012 London Olympics, etc. Presently, one of his female proteges, Hope Udoka is representing Nigeria in the ongoing Pongfinity Cup Tournament in Helsinki, Finland.
In a brief chat with the iconic fair-complexioned retired 65 year old veteran ex-player and coach after his training at the impressive Canaan Table Tennis Club complex in Calabar stadium, I asked him about his chances of winning the upcoming veterans’ games, he said, “I’m optimistic about making it to at least the medal range. Because I’ve been training in recent days to be in good shape for the games”. There is no doubt that the forthcoming games is an avenue for Coach Lefty to exercise his aging muscles, display some tennis skills, and let off the much-needed steam that veterans’ health craves for. From 2nd August onwards, all eyes will be on the truly iconic veteran Coach Lefty as he and other table tennis veterans lockhorns for Ping pong supremacy in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
