By Amaechi Agbo

Determined to ensure that the game of teqball received national reckoning in Nigeria, the Nigeria Teqball Federation, NIGTEQ has distributed 56 teqball tables to state associations, Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL clubs as well as the Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL clubs, Bestchoiceaports.com.ng can report.

The presentation and distribution which was carried out in Abuja Tuesday saw some state Associations chairmen present while others were represented.

Speaking to the media during the presentation, NIGTEQ President, Engr Habu Gumel said that the distribution of the tables to 29 affiliate states associations is in line with the federation’s drive to promote the game of teqball in every nooks and crannies of the country.

“This is the first and critical step in our drive to ensure that the beautiful game of teqball becomes a household name in Nigeria. The mission is not just to promote the game but to make Nigerians play the game, reach out to the grassroots and develop the game.

“The journey so far has been so good and this is because when the interim federation applied for approval together with other federations, we have a technical committee that analysis all the federations to make sure they met all the criteria. Then after that they will submit it, the EXCO will meet and then it will go to our congress of General Assembly and I am happy to say that Teqball federation has passed all these criteria and was finally approved by the Congress of Nigeria Olympic committee.

“Now it is a recognised federation in this country by the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC. We have many state associations and we will continue to spread. The intention is to reach out to every nooks and crannies of this country to play teqball. Teqball is very important, it is worldwide.

“So the journey is good and the mission is to ensure that at least in Africa, Nigeria is the best in terms development of teqball,” he said.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the federation, Mr Ndudi Edede while going memory lane to renact the history of how teqball came into the country, said that the arrival and distrintution of the tables to the 29-affiliate state associations is one of many activities the federation will unfold going forward.

“Teqball was introduced in Nigeria in 2018 by the Embassy of Hungary to Nigeria. Teqball is a sport with the mixture of table tennis and football. It can be played with all part of the body except the hands. It can touch the body not more than three consecutive times. It is less injury and is a sport that is highly enjoyable. I am 100% sure that it will flourish in Nigeria because of the passion we have for it and football.

“Teqball is already in 211 countries of the world but at present, the Federation International of Teqball, FITEQ, will by June this year make a bid for Teqball to become an Olympic sport.

“This is the moment we have been waiting for all these year since 2018 when it was introduced in Nigeria and we have been working with about five tables which has slowed the pace of the development of the sport in Nigeria.

“Now we have the tables, we are spurred to move at a faster pace now. Currently, the Nigeria Teqball Federation has 29 affiliate member states and the FCT in. Our intention is that sooner or latter we will cover all the 36 states of the country.

“In our plans to spread the table, we used certain criteria in the distribution of the tables. First, we are giving the NPFL clubs (Nigeria Professional Football League), the best two clubs last season will get one table each – that is Enyimba and Plateau United.

“We are giving the four best NWLF (Nigeria Women Football League) clubs in Nigeria – Rivers Angel, Bayelsa Queens, Confluence Queens and Nasarawa Amazons – one table each.

“We will also give two schools in each geopolitical zones of the country. We will also give recreation centres. Some states will receive two tables while others will receive less.

“We have 56 tables to distribute to the affiliate states,” he concluded.