Calabar — A former sports administrator and table tennis patron, Orok Duke, has spent about ₦3.7 million to procure equipment for six Cross River athletes preparing for the upcoming Niger Delta Games after discovering they had no kits days to the competition NEGROIDHAVEN can say.
Duke disclosed this while handing over the equipment to the players in Calabar, explaining that table tennis athletes cannot perform optimally if introduced to unfamiliar gear on the eve of a tournament.
“You must get acquainted with your equipment. You can’t just thrust equipment on a player on the day of competition. You lose a percentage of your skill,” he said.
According to him, the intervention became necessary when he received information that the state’s representatives in table tennis had yet to receive their playing kits despite the proximity of the Games.
Rising Equipment Costs
Duke said the cost of professional table tennis materials has risen sharply, citing Tenergy rubbers — a preferred brand among elite players — which now cost about ₦250,000 per pair, up from roughly ₦100,000 previously.
He explained that purchasing seven pairs of the rubbers alone cost approximately ₦1.7 million, with additional expenses incurred for blades (wood), anti-spin rubbers, balls and other accessories.
“In total, we just had to put in about ₦3.7 million to get equipment. That is just for the Niger Delta Games, and that’s for six players,” he said.
He noted that table tennis equipment is highly technical and regulated, requiring two different rubber colours — typically red and black — to comply with international standards and allow opponents to identify spin variations.
Protecting Investment in Athletes
Duke also said measures were being put in place to safeguard the expensive equipment from damage, stressing that exposure to harsh weather conditions could render a ₦300,000 rubber unusable within weeks.
“It’s an indoor sport. If you allow the equipment to be taken out and used under the sun on dilapidated tables, that’s the end of it,” he said.
Beyond equipment provision, he announced an additional ₦360,000 support package for the six players heading to the Games, supplementing allowances already provided by the state.
Sustaining Medal Dominance
Duke maintained that table tennis remains one of Cross River’s most successful sports in terms of medal haul, adding that continued investment is necessary to sustain that record.
He said the club has continued to groom young talents through structured training and financial support, including payment of school fees for promising athletes to ensure their education is not disrupted.
The Niger Delta Games are expected to feature athletes from oil-producing states across the region, with Cross River aiming to maintain its competitiveness in table tennis.
Duke called on well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to support sports development in the state, stressing that government alone cannot shoulder the financial burden.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “If we want to keep winning medals and developing our youths, everyone must come on board.”
