The 2024 Teqball World Championship Qualifiers has ended in Aba with Reshedat Salihu and Sampson Funsho of Team Abia emerging victorious in the women doubles of the game.
Reshedat Salihu, who is former African Champion and Victor Oyabede, the Nigeria’s current number one Teqball player also emerged victorious and got gold medals in Women Singles and Men Singles respectively.
Speaking at the Aba Sports Club venue of the event, the Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti urged all to show interest in Teqball sports as it is one of the ways to keep one’s body very fit. He said that though the game is relatively new and a creation of Hungary, it worths playing.
Governor Otti said that Abia state is proud to have been given the hosting right and expressed the interest of the state in hosting the next tournament if given another opportunity.
While congratulating the players from all participating states and officials of the game on their successes, governor Alex Otti appreciated the Hungarian Ambassador to Nigeria for coming to witness the game and appreciated the Teqball Federation of Nigeria for granting Abia the hosting right.
“All are winners, the important thing in a sports like this is to participate. This is a game that is less than 8 years and it is a creation of Hungary.”
Also speaking, the Hungarian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Lorand Enderffy commended Governor Alex Otti for promoting sports in Abia saying that such events help in youth development.
He said he is pleased to note that Teqball enjoys popularity among the youths of Nigeria and disclosed that the game was developed in Hungary in 2017. He said that his country has selected 6 Nigerian players who would be traveling to Hungary for training.
In his speech , the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Nwaobilor Ananaba expressed joy that Abia has qualified to participate in the World Teqball competition and maintained that the successes recorded in the competition amplifies the passion of Abia state in the game.
Mr. Ananaba, who said that the results so far gotten in sports development in the state shows the commitment of governor Alex Otti to develop the state and thanked the President of the Teqball Federation of Nigeria for the hosting right granted Abia.
Contributing, the Vice President, Teqball Federation of Nigeria and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Mr. Ndudi Edede said that they would introduce Teqball in schools as a way of developing the sports.
He thanked governor Otti for his disposition which made the Teqball Federation of Nigeria to find the state worthy of hosting the game.
Other teams and individuals that emerged victorious with gold medals in other categories of the qualifiers game include; the Nigeria number one Teqball player, Victor Oyabede of Team Delta – Male Single , Victor Oyabede and Andrew Ikoko – Male Doubles (Team Delta), Reshedat Salihu – Women Singles (Team Abia) among others.
The event which attracted Commissioners, Mayors of LGAs, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Sports and Youths Development, State Director of Sports, Comrade Obioma George, sports officials among others featured presentation of awards and trophies to the winners of the various categories of the competition.
Government House Press.
13/07/2024
