Jeremiah Ikoko of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has emerged the winner of the 6th Ships & Ports Table Tennis Championship.
The Championship, which holds annually and was sponsored by Dangote Ports Operations and the Nigerian Shippers Council, took place at the Apapa Club in Lagos.
Declaring the 6th Ships & Ports Table Tennis Championship open, the Chief Executive Officer of Ships & Ports, Bolaji Akinola, said the Championship was instituted to promote healthy interaction among maritime industry workers.
Sixty participants drawn from the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NIMASA, Tin Can Island Container Terminal, Lagos Channel Management, Dangote Port Operations, Bollore Shipping, ENL Consortium and the Maritime Microfinance Bank, among others, took part in the championship.
Two employees of the NPA, Kehinde Borokini, a four-time winner of the championship and Phillip Amebe; Jeremiah Ikoko of NIMASA and defending champion Sunday Otaru (Bollore Logistics), beat all other contestants to qualify for the semi-final stage.
Jeremiah Ikoko emerged winner after an explosive match against Amebe, to win the cash prize of ₦100,000. Second-place Amebe received ₦50,000, while Otaru, who defeated Borokini in the third-place tie, won ₦30,000.
“I appreciate Ships & Ports for organising this event; it is a welcome development. This is the second time I am participating. Last year the players were fewer; we were not up to 30.
The standard of play has also improved. I believe this championship will go further in the next two years.”
