The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) in collaboration with the Recreation Club, Ibadan, will host Ghana's junior table tennis team in Lagos on Jan. 14 and 15.

The championship is tagged U-20 Junior International Championship and it is aimed at discovering talents in Nigeria and Ghana for future international championships.

Babatunde Obisanya, NTTF coach, said Tuesday that the championship for both male and female was to produce a standard team for Africa, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The two countries will each present a team for the two categories.

Obisanya explained that the championship was also to maintain the sporting relationship between the two West African nations.

"We are working toward retaining the relationship through bringing our young players together and preparing them ahead of advanced championships," he said.

The championship, whose organizers hoped would be an annual event, would also be used to access the standard of the players.

"This type of grassroots program will go a long way in developing the game of table tennis and producing competent players for the country," Obisanya said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2009)