Aiyelabegan Urges NSC Oversight in NTTF Elections

Ahead of next week’s elections for Technical and Players’ Representatives on the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) board, the current Players’ Representative, Kehinde Aiyelabegan, has appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to step in and oversee proceedings, Sport360NG reports.

Aiyelabegan, who represents the North-Central zone, expressed concern that the process could be compromised if left in the hands of the federation. He has also requested that the elections, initially slated for Lagos, be moved to Abuja to curb alleged manipulation.

According to him, some board members are attempting to alter the voting structure in a way that could tilt the contest. “In previous elections, every Technical and Players’ Representative presented confirmation letters from their state sports councils before participating. Now there are efforts to bypass this process, which opens the door to malpractice,” he said.

He further argued that staging the polls in Abuja would reduce undue influence. “Certain members behave as though they own the sport and can dictate the rules. That must not be allowed to continue,” he added.

Aiyelabegan also faulted a recent NTTF notice shared on the Nigerian Table Tennis Coaches Association’s platform, which indicated that all athletes and technical officials might be allowed to vote. He insisted that voting should be restricted to the 74 accredited delegates from the 36 states and the FCT, warning that the new approach could benefit his opponent from Lagos.

Calling on the NSC chairman to intervene, the veteran Kwara State coach emphasised the need for fairness and transparency in the electoral process.

Beyond the elections, Aiyelabegan outlined his vision for Nigerian table tennis, promising to prioritise grassroots development and revive competitive leagues at both state and national levels. He stressed that player selection for national duty must be based on open trials rather than personal connections.

“The recycling of the same players at international tournaments must end. We need a merit-driven system that rewards current form and discovers fresh talent,” he stated, proposing a three-phase trial format to identify the country’s best representatives.

The NTTF Technical and Players’ Representative elections are scheduled to hold on 10 September 2025.