By Frank Ulom
Rt. Hon. Orok Duke PhD has been inaugurated as Chairman of the Cross River State Table Tennis Association, a development widely viewed as recognition of his decades-long contribution to the growth of the sport in Cross River State and Nigeria.
The inauguration ceremony was conducted on Monday, May 4, 2026, by the Chairman of the Cross River State Sports Commission, Hon. Etta Lawrence, who also inaugurated other officials to oversee various sports associations across the state.
Duke’s appointment has drawn commendation from stakeholders within the sports community, many of whom described it as a fitting honour for a man whose influence has shaped table tennis development in the state for nearly four decades.
Achievements Of Orok Duke In The Sports Industry
Before the appointment, Duke had already established himself as one of the most prominent figures in sports administration in Cross River. He served as Cross River’s Sports Ambassador from 2007 and later chaired the Cross River State Sports Commission between 2015 and 2019.
Throughout his years in sports administration, Duke focused heavily on grassroots talent development, infrastructure expansion, athlete welfare and competitive excellence, particularly through the Canaan Table Tennis Club of Calabar.
Sports enthusiasts recalled that following the creation of Akwa Ibom State in 1987, Cross River’s table tennis structure suffered setbacks due to the movement of coaches and elite players to the new state. Duke, alongside Coach Richard George Edem, took over the responsibility of rebuilding the programme almost from the ground up.
Their intervention later transformed Canaan Table Tennis Club into one of Nigeria’s most successful table tennis institutions, producing several national champions and international athletes.
Under Duke’s leadership, the club evolved into a dominant force in Nigerian table tennis, consistently delivering medals for Cross River State and establishing itself as one of the state’s strongest sporting brands.
Observers noted that one of Duke’s landmark achievements as Sports Commission Chairman was the installation of a professional Taraflex flooring system imported from China for the table tennis hall at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar.
The facility became one of the few International Table Tennis Federation-approved venues in Nigeria capable of hosting both national and international competitions.
Duke’s leadership also coincided with the emergence of some of Nigeria’s most celebrated female table tennis players.
Under the Canaan Table Tennis Club structure, Offiong Edem, Funke Oshonaike, Cecilia Otu and Janet Effiom emerged as trailblazers for Nigerian women in the sport.
Offiong Edem represented Nigeria at the Olympic Games in 2004, 2012, 2016 and 2020, while also achieving international recognition during her professional career in Europe.
Cecilia Otu won women’s doubles gold alongside Edem at the 2007 and 2011 All Africa Games before later clinching Nigeria’s national singles title in 2017 and competing at the Commonwealth Games.
Funke Oshonaike and Janet Effiom also rose through the Canaan system to represent Nigeria internationally, helping to break gender barriers in Nigerian table tennis and further boosting Cross River’s national sporting reputation.
Beyond elite competitions, Duke maintained a strong commitment to youth development.
In 2021, he sponsored male and female teams across cadet, junior and senior categories, contributing to the emergence of new talents including cadet champion Idorenyin Udoaka and junior player Vivian Oku.
His developmental efforts continued to yield results on the continental stage.
In June 2024, Canaan Queens finished runners-up at the African Club Table Tennis Championships in Benghazi, Libya.
Again in January 2025, the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation nominated Canaan Table Tennis Club to represent Nigeria at the African Club Table Tennis Championships in Tunis, Tunisia.
The club also contributed significantly to Cross River’s performance at the Niger Delta Youth Sports Festival held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where the state emerged joint overall champions in table tennis.
The competition coincided with the 35th anniversary of the Canaan Table Tennis Club, marking more than three decades of sustained dominance and athlete development.
In May 2025, another major milestone was recorded when Hope Udoaka of Canaan Table Tennis Club emerged national female champion at the 5th Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial National Table Tennis Championships in Otan Ayegbaju, Osun State.
Reacting to the achievements over the years, Duke reaffirmed his commitment to sustaining the growth of table tennis in Cross River and Nigeria.
He also praised Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, for what he described as consistent support towards sports development in the state.
Apart from table tennis, Duke has remained an advocate for broader sports development policies, repeatedly calling for increased investment in infrastructure, athlete support and sports programming.
During his tenure as Sports Commission Chairman, he organised football clinics, built partnerships and mobilised private sector support to ensure Cross River’s participation in youth sports competitions despite financial challenges.
Sports stakeholders believe Duke’s impact can be measured through the medals won by athletes nurtured under his system, the international recognition earned by Cross River players and the development of world-class training facilities in the state.
Many described his inauguration as Chairman of the Cross River State Table Tennis Association as both appropriate and timely, noting that his experience, vision and long-standing commitment position him to further strengthen the sport across the state.
