Soludo Urged To Investigate Use of Unqualified Table Tennis Coach In ASDC
All seems not to be well with the Anambra State Sports Development Commission over the allegation of an unqualified Table Tennis coach to re-enforce the poor performance of the game in the state.
Mr Bonny Akunna, a former international table tennis player and Head of Technical, Anambra State Table Tennis Association made the claim in a petition to Gov. Chukwuma Soludo.
Akunna in the petition entitled “Petition Against Abuse Of Office And Malicious Intention To Kill Table Tennis In Anambra State” accused the Female Director of abuse of office.
He said the highest ranking Director in the Commission had sworn to make sure that Table Tennis did not succeed in the state and had continued use of unprofessionals as coach for the sport.
The veteran Table Tennis player and coach said the Director had refused to allow people with the requisite knowledge of the game to manage the game and that the state had suffered for it.
According to him, the Female Director has continued to use the position of Team Anambra Table Tennis Coach to service her personal friendship by using it to gratify people who neither played or got coaching experience for their loyalty.
“This ugly trend is unfortunately responsible for the lack of Table Tennis structure in Anambra and also the poor performance the state has recorded in the last five years at national competitions.
“As Anambra prepares for the next National Sport Festival scheduled for Asaba, Delta State, she has once again vowed to employ her mediocre candidate to coach the state Table Tennis Team
“This is in defiance to the recommendation of the Director in charge of technical who proposed that the most capable hands be used for the various games including myself for Table Tennis, ” he said.
Akunna said the director’s candidate who was not a staff of the Commission told the Director Technical to his face that he will lead the team to Asaba and that the director had insisted not handle the team unless she was no longer in office.
He said upon retiring from international career and returning from Spain with vast experience, he had continued to train budding Table Tennis players and have guided them to competitions where they did well.
He called on Gov. Soludo to take special interest in this petition against abuse of office and elevation of personal interest and friendship and direct an investigation with the aim of ending impunity in the Commission.
“I will be available to defend this petition anywhere and anytime I am called upon, the Director should defend her position by telling the Anambra public whom she serves what makes her candidate better qualified than me and why I should not lead my own players to competitions.
“Although, I am not employed by the ministry. I have offered my services as a volunteer and I remain loyal and available to serve Anambra and willing to continue to contribute to the development of sports and Table Tennis in particular in the state,” he said.
