Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

JAMAICA WILL host the Nigerian national table tennis team for a one-month tour beginning in December as the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) looks to begin preparations for qualification in next year's Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

The Nigerians, who struck gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and gold, silver and bronze at the Melbourne Game in 2006, are expected to arrive in the island in the first week of December carrying their male and female teams. Keith Garvey, president of the JTTA, made the announcement at the Sports Development Foundation offices yesterday.

Lack of quality games

While claiming a lack of quality international games was a major problem facing the development of the sport in the island, Garvey said the series against the Africans would be a thrilling experience.

"The Nigerians play some of the most exciting table tennis around. Their style is similar to ours in some respects, so we are looking forward to some great games," Garvey said.

"The fact of the matter is that people need to see top-class table tennis being played locally. Our athletes need to start competing against some of the best," he said. Garvey, who will be facing the JTTA electorate on November 25, also revealed Jamaica will host the 50th Caribbean Table Tennis Championships.

"Right now we are well along with our plans to host the event and things are going quite well," he said.

His team could have done better

Locally, while emphasising the fact that there are things that his team could have done better, he believes that it has done enough to warrant another term in office. "One of the challenges that we face in the development of the sport is the spreading of its base and we need to get more people actively involved," he said.

"As things stand right now, I believe that we have a team that is dedicated and will do what is needed to do to push the sport forward," he said.

The Nigerian team will fund their visit to the island, while the local contingent will be cared for in part by long-time sponsors North West Construction. The Jamaica team is expected to begin training next Tuesday with the long-term goal of qualifying for the Olympics from the Latin American Championships, which will be held from March 30-April 6 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic next year.