Global pandemic, COVID-19 has forced the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to cancel the 2020 edition of the Challenge Plus Nigeria Open scheduled for August 18 to 22, 2020.
The tournament which is Africa’s elite tournament has attracted top global stars from the world’s top 200 players and the LOC has decided to cancel the tournament this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged the globe.
According to the LOC chairman, Wahid Oshodi, it is pertinent to be realistic about what is presently happening globally and that is why “we have decided to cancel the tournament this year because nobody knows when the pandemic would disappear.”
“The athletes’ health is always the major priority because they are the main actors. We also have to think about the safety and health of the fans that throng the stadium to watch the event.
“We are pained but constrained by this pandemic to cancel this year’s edition and we are looking forward to being part of the new World Table Tennis (WTT) series in 2021,” he said.
However, there are plans by the LOC, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) to stage a special invitational tournament toward the end of the year with top players across the world expected to grace the tournament.
