Lagos – A senior staff of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Kehinde Borokini, for the fourth consecutive time, emerged the winner of the 2016 edition of Ships & Ports Table Tennis Tournament.
A statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Lagos, said the tournament was held at the Apapa Club in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Borokini, who works in Engineering unit of NPA, defeated 31 others comprising males and females, to retain the Prince Olayiwola Shittu Trophy.
Borokini defeated a fellow NPA staff, Agor Brendan, by three straight sets 11-7; 11-7 and 11-8.
A highly-elated Borokini said she was happy to feature and win the competition again this year.
“I am very happy to be here again today. It is always a delight to participate in this competition every year and I thank the organisers for always doing a great job,’’ she said.
The tournament’s number one seeded player won all her matches defeating Yusuf Saheed 3-1 in the quarterfinal and Philip Asuquo 3-2 in a keenly contested semi-final match.
Agor Brendan emerged the first runner-up, while Asuquo was second runner-up.
The trophy was presented to Borokini by the Chairman, Association Electoral Commission (ASECO) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Mukaila Babatunde, who represented the ANLCA President and sponsor of the competition, Prince Olayiwola Shittu.
The Head, Corporate Communications of Sifax Group, Mr. Muyiwa Akande, represented the Executive Director, Human Resources and Administration of the Group, Dr Phil Ofulue.
Staff of companies and government organisations like including NPA, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, PIL Shipping Company, ENL Consortium, Hull Blyth, and LTT Coastal and Marine Services registered for the competition.
Other contestants were picked from: Mickey Excellency Clearing and Forwarding Company, Port & Cargo Handling Services, Crown Maritime Academy, SIfax Group, Maersk Line, Maritime Microfinance Bank and Five Star Logistics.
The 2016 edition of the Ships & Ports Table Tennis Tournament held in Lagos with fanfare as 32 players vied for honours at the four-year old competition, which was
.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ships & Ports, Mr. Bolaji Akinola, said he was impressed with the level of turnout for the competition.
Akinola said the competition was created to promote friendship and social interaction among maritime industry operators
He gave an assurance that the communication firm would continue to promote healthy living for sustainable development of the maritime industry.
“Table tennis is a sport that can be enjoyed by individuals of any age and physical ability. Top table tennis players are some of the greatest athletes in the world.
“Playing table tennis is a great way to stimulate the brain and promote quick thinking while improving hand-eye coordination.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]`Table tennis is a low-injury risk sport that keeps one fit and flexible, without putting too much stress on joints.
“Playing table tennis increases one’s agility and flexibility, and most of all, reaction time,’’ NAN quotes the chief executive officer as saying.
Akinola said his company was keen in promoting table tennis in the maritime industry because of its numerous health benefits including the stimulation of mental alertness, concentration and tactical strategy.
“This makes it the perfect game for young people to sharpen reflexes and for older people to refine tactics,’’ he said. (NAN)