Nigeria’s foremost table tennis star Kasali Lasisi blazed the trail in Nigeria’s glorious table tennis era in the 70s and 80s, leading what is considered the best set of ping pongers to come out of the most populous black nation. The performance and exploit of the 1976 and 1978 African champion gingered the next generation of African beaters led by Atanda Musa and Yomi Bankole to dominate the African stage for more than 10 years.
“We had a lot going for us during our time. We had dedicated coaches and administrators that motivated us and I can conveniently say that I became number one in nationally and in Africa, because of the passion and fierce challenge from other players.”
The recipient of National Sports Merit Award, is of the opinion that Nigeria lost its number one position to Egypt in table tennis because it is no longer producing top up and coming players again.
The former Technical Advisor and the Chief Coach of the Congo Brazzaville Federation, who witnessed the Atanda Musa National Cadet Tournament in Lagos, said the sport need more cadet tournaments like that.
“I’m impressed with the level of talent that I’ve seen. The standard of the cadet for now I think is a little bit encouraging. But you see, I think if we are having this type of competition, hopefully, I think maybe we can even regain the standard of what we were having before. Because when you look at it, in the olden days, we have a lot of competitions. But there is no money incentive.”
He added that stakeholders, former players, and administrators must join hands to lift the sport to an enviable height as enjoyed in the 70s and 80s.
“Like I rightly said, if we are having a lot of competitions, there will be a lot of publicity; there will be a lot of exposure. A lot of people will come in to watch and they will be encouraged even to sponsor more of this type of competition. I think that should be another way forward.”
Though not happy with Nigeria’s showing at the last Paris Olympics, where the country returned with zero medals, he advised that preparation for the next Olympics in Los Angeles 2028 should start now.
“When we’re talking about big time competitions like Olympics and other things like that, it’s not just that maybe we look at the program, the Olympics is coming up maybe by two months time or by next year and other things like that. Even from now, other advanced countries have started even preparing the team that is going to represent them again in 2028.
“But in Nigeria, we wait until the dying minutes. It is when the games are six months or three months time, that we start preparing the athletes by going for European tour. You start going to African tour and other things like that. It’s not like that. The preparation has to start from now.
“Get some technical people who are going to prepare the team. Draw a program for them and other things like that. Get some junior players and other things like that. Let them mix with the senior and start preparing. Not when it gets to the dying minute now, you say that is the time where, no, it’s not like that.”
He added that what is helping Egypt in table tennis is their technical crew made up of former players. He enjoined the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) to consider the model too.
“What we need is for a technical crew to come together. It is not a job of one man. Some people who have traveled with the Nigeria table tennis team and other things like that will see what I’m talking about. For example, let me use the Egyptians as an example. When you get to Egypt now, in the training hall, you will see a lot of ex-national and international players coming with even their children and other things like that, bringing them to training, watching the way the coaches are working. They too are supporting the coaching, giving them their own experience and other things like that. They work together. That is why when you see the performance of the Egyptians in Africa now; you will know that they have a good technical crew.
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“So if we too, in Nigeria, can do the same it will help us. In another five years or so Nigeria’s number one Aruna Quadri may not even be on ground for us. What is our preparation? Who is going to succeed him?
I don’t know.
“During my own time, Nigeria doesn’t have this kind of problem because there are lots of backup. When we go for African competition, in seven events, we will win seven gold medals. And most of the time you see that Atanda Musa is going to play finals with me.
At a point I stopped playing because the players coming behind were also doing well.”
Referencing Nigeria’s population mainly made up of youths, the former Kwara State coach said the country needs to utilize the numbers to dominate in Africa and internationally.
“Take table tennis as an example. Look at what is been done during the holidays. We are having about almost two or three competitions. When you engage the youths they will not time for ungodly things. You see in Nigeria, we have a large population and other things, but we are not making use of it. For example, if you lose a competition now and there is another one coming up next week, you will try to go and train more and make sure that maybe you are able to beat whoever defeated you the other time.”
SHORT AND SHARP WITH LASISI
What has table tennis given you in life?
Well, I thank the almighty Allah that I do not regret that I am a table tennis player. The game gave me a lot of experience, there is no continent in the world that I have never been to. I am one known all over the world because of table tennis. I’m happy for what I have achieved.
Challenges faced in his playing days?
My challenge during that time is that we had a lot of good players. During that time, I have a lot of players that challenged me. We are talking about Babatunde Obisanya, the former national coach, Lateef Sunmola, the former Lagos state coach. So, we have a lot of good players, then.
If you win a competition today, tomorrow you will see that maybe you will not even get to the quarter-final.
Table tennis ahead of football
I loved football before that table tennis. I only played table tennis casually. Then, the former national coach saw me playing on that very day. He just came back from China, where he had gone to learn new trick of the game. He wanted to experiment a new drill, and he called me, gave me a new racket, and told me to hold the racket in a certain way. That was how I became the best fore hander in the table tennis during my time. I don’t use backhand, everything I use do in use forehand and I had a good footwork.
Coaching experience in Congo Brazzaville
Fantastic! When I was in Congo Brazzaville, I noticed that they are not making use of some players, which I believed were not useful to them, so I asked them come with me to Brazzaville. Could you believe that I turned them to great players, and they began to beat their Nigerian counterparts?
Nigerian officials were not happy about it and they complained that I poached their players to play against them and even defeat them. But I told them that you said they are no more useful, and now I turned them around to come and beat you.
Advice for up and coming players
My candid advice to them is that they have to combine two things together: First, education, second, the game. Education and a love for the game, because when you look at it, the game is now scientific, so if you are not educated, then you will not be able to understand what we are talking about. So my own advice to them is that table tennis is a very good game, it’s a family game, it’s a game that you and your wife can play together.
