Orange Drugs boost Pro-Cold Table Tennis

The event which began last year with Nigeria number-one table tennis player, Segun Toriola as defending champion is tagged, 'Pro-Cold Table-Tennis Tournament named after one the company's anti-cold drug.

This year's edition is billed serve off on September 15 at the indoor sports hall of the University of Lagos Sports Centre. 

The new shift of date from August to September is to enable some participants in the tournament, to return from Beijing Olympic Games, where they are representing Nigeria.

Didik Novandi, representative for Kalbe; parent company of the pro-cold brand, and technical partners of Orange Drugs, had previously explained that his company sponsors table-tennis as a way of contributing to sports development in Nigeria. It will be recalled that Novandi promised last year that his company will raise the sponsorship of the tournament from 3 million naira to 6 million naira.

Lending support to Novandi's statement, Ingram Osigwe, media consultant to Orange Drugs, said the company is sponsoring table-tennis as a way of responding strongly to the call for corporate sponsorship of sports in Nigeria, by the federal government.

He said that sports sponsorship is a way the company contributes towards building the Nigerian society and its youth.

The sponsorship package for this year's event is a whopping  Six million naira, ($50,000). Of the total amount, 2million naira has been earmarked as cash prizes for the 8 events, which will make up the tourney, while 4million naira is for logistics, administration and promotion of the tournament.

First prize winner in the senior men's singles event will go home with N236, 000 ($2,000) plus a flat screen television set while the 1st prize winner in the women's singles event will get N177 000 ($1,500), and a Flat screen  television.

The tournament will also feature on a daily basis, a raffle draw at which fans will win loads of prizes and souvenirs such as Television sets, DVD players, Shirts and radio sets.

Participants are expected from the 36 states of the federation, including Federal Capital Territory.

Top among the list of expected participants are Men Singles defending champion, Segun Toriola, Monday Merountoun, Bose Kaffo, Funke Oshinaike, Seun Ajetunmobi and Women Singles defending champion, Offiom Edem. Foreign guest players are also expected from China, Ghana, Togo, Gabon and Benin Republic.

Pro-Cold table-tennis tournament is only one of many sports events sponsored by Orange Drugs Nigeria Limited.

Others sporting event sponsored by Orange Drugs Limited, include the Boska Football Championship, Tony Ezenna football Tournament among others.

The company which believes in youth empowerment as a way of building the society has chosen sports as an avenue of promoting healthy development among Nigerian Youth.