Table Tennis
ITTF INVITE CITIES TO BID TO HOUSE NEW HEADQUARTERS
BY MICHAEL PAVITT
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has invited cities to bid to house its new headquarters and also asks cities to become the location of the governing body’s headquarters, training centre and a high performance and development base.
The ITTF’s current headquarters are located in the Olympic capital Lausanne in Switzerland, while their Asia-Pacific office is based in Singapore.
The Singapore office is asserted to account for half of the ITTF’s 50 professional staff.
It is claimed that staff numbers are increase by 50 per cent in the coming years, leading to a search for a new “home of table tennis”.
The ITTF claim cities would benefit from global prestige, millions of dollars in turnover and the potential of hosting major sporting events should they be chosen as the location for their new headquarters.
“Whilst this is an objective for beyond 2019, the ITTF is already planning ahead to set up a true ‘home of table tennis,” said Steve Dainton, ITTF chief executive.
“All cities submitting bids will realise the exceptional opportunities available to them, not least raising their global profile and significant economic investments into their local communities.
“This won’t just be an office, but also a permanent base for our high performance and development strategy and state-of-the-art training facilities.
“The ultimate goal would be to have a mini museum, TTX tables and a retail store too.
“We want people to stop by and enjoy a game of table tennis as well.
“Hopefully this is the place that can help create the next stars of our sport.
“After all, we need to be nurturing a new generation of talent from different parts of the world to ensure an exciting future for table tennis and one which will attract more and more spectators and supporters from across the globe.
“The new ‘home of table tennis’ will go a long way to helping us achieve our long-term ambitions.”
The ITTF state while they are seeking a new headquarters to house its ever-increasing professional staff, an international training centre will also be created for its high performance and development projects.
The governing body claim cities will be helping to create and nurture stars of the future, while the centre would offer pathways for local table tennis talent to train with the best coaches and players in the world.
Local professionals would have opportunities to join on board as ITTF staff members and contribute directly to the sport’s continued global growth, the ITTF state.
Candidates will be required to be located within an international city and have space for the ITTF office to expand over time.
A minimum office space of 1,000 square metres, preferably developed specifically for the ITTF on vacant land, has also been outlined as a requirement.
Close proximity to an international airport is viewed as necessary given the ITTF’s global footprint, although with visa support to ensure staff from various countries are able to live and work within the country.
The deadline for expressions of interest will be April 15, with a concept and plan due to be submitted by August 31.
An evaluation period will follow from September 1 to December 31, prior to a decision being announced by the governing body.
The ITTF have claimed it is the best time to invest in table tennis, with upwards of 500 million people asserted to be playing the sport around the world.
Growth over the last 10 years in terms of commercial value, global participation and world-class events has also been claimed by the ITTF.
As part of their new strategic plan, the ITTF will hold all of its commercial rights heading into the next cycle in 2021.
Table Tennis
Nigeria, Togo Set to Defend Titles at 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships in Lagos
Defending champions Nigeria and Togo are gearing up to retain their titles at the 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships, scheduled to take place from July 16 to 19 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Nigeria, the region’s most decorated team, will defend its women’s team title, which it retained in Lomé last year. Meanwhile, Togo will aim to secure a second consecutive men’s team title, following a thrilling 3-2 victory over Nigeria in the 2024 final.
This year’s championship will feature strong competition from across the region, with Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger Republic, and Sierra Leone joining the fray.
In the singles events, Nigeria’s top-ranked player, Matthew Kuti, will defend his men’s singles title. Kuti made history last year in Lomé by defeating Côte d’Ivoire’s Oba Oba Kizito 4-1 to claim his first regional crown. A repeat victory would make him the first male player to win back-to-back singles titles in the tournament’s history.
The women’s singles title is open for the taking following the absence of reigning champion Hope Udoaka of Nigeria, setting the stage for a new champion to emerge.
The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2025 African Championships, to be held later this year in Rwanda. With the advantage of home support and the largest player contingent, Nigeria is also eyeing a return to the top in the men’s team event.
Participation has reached a new high, with over 10 countries confirmed, surpassing previous editions that peaked at nine. Notably, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Niger Republic are returning to the competition after years of absence.
“All eyes will be on Nigeria,” said Ferdinand Sonou, Vice President of ITTF Africa West Region and former President of the Benin Table Tennis Federation. “Nigeria has a proven track record of hosting international competitions, and teams always look forward to playing here. This tournament marks the beginning of a series of international events in Lagos, and I believe we’ll witness the emergence of new stars alongside the established ones.”
Sonou also commended ITTF Africa President Wahid Enitan Oshodi for his continued support, noting that the increased number of participating teams reflects the growing strength of table tennis in the region.
The 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships promise high-stakes action, intense rivalries, and a celebration of West African table tennis excellence.
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Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Hana Goda are among the elite players set to compete at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025, taking place in Slovenia.
The WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025 boasts a prize pool of $300,000 and offers valuable ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking points.
The singles champions will receive $17,000 and 600 points, while the doubles champions will take home $5,500 and 600 points.
This highly anticipated event, hosted at Hala Tivoli in Ljubljana, has attracted a star-studded lineup of table tennis greats.
Aruna, currently ranked 24th in the world and the highest-ranked African player, is seeded No. 14 in the men’s singles and has received a bye into the second round (last 32). He is expected to face the winner between Japan’s Shunsuke Togami and China’s Xu Haidong on Friday, June 20.
Similarly, Goda, seeded No. 15 in the women’s singles, also received a bye into the second round. She is set to face the winner between Japan’s Sakura Yokoi and South Korea’s Joo Cheonhui.
Some of the world’s best players will battle it out over five events in what promises to be a week-long table tennis spectacle.
Leading the charge in the men’s singles is Brazilian star and 2025 World Championships runner-up, Hugo Calderano.
Known as the “Thrill from Brazil,” Calderano returns to Slovenia with bold ambition, looking to defend his title from last year’s triumph.
Joining him are global heavyweights including Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, winner of the Men’s Singles title at WTT Star Contender Doha 2025; Felix Lebrun, champion at WTT Champions Montpellier 2024; and Slovenian home favourite Darko Jorgic.
In the women’s singles, Japan’s Miwa Harimoto headlines the field after claiming the title at WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025. Her compatriot Hina Hayata is also back to defend her title from last year’s Ljubljana tournament.
Other strong contenders include South Korea’s Shin Yubin, seeking her first WTT Star Contender title, as well as Romania’s Bernadette Szocs and China’s Qian Tianyi, both of whom are expected to make deep runs in the competition
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Participants in the table tennis event of the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024, will be vying for a total of 46 gold medals up for grabs.
The table tennis competition features athletes across three categories: able-bodied, para-athletes, and deaf athletes. Seven gold medals are available in the able-bodied category, while deaf athletes will contest for five gold medals. Para-athletes will compete for a whopping 34 gold medals across various events, including singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and team events.
In the able-bodied category, athletes will compete in singles (for men and women), doubles (for men and women), mixed doubles, and team events (for men and women). Deaf athletes will contest in singles (men and women), doubles (men and women), and mixed doubles.
Para-athletes will participate in four team events—men’s classes 1–5 and 6–10, and women’s classes 1–5 and 6–10. There will also be 18 singles events for men and women, eight doubles events, and four mixed doubles events.
Delta State dominates the seeding lists for both able-bodied and para-athlete categories. Fatimo Bello of Delta State is the top seed in the women’s singles, while Bayelsa’s Olajide Omotayo leads the men’s singles. Lagos and Oyo States top the seedings in the deaf singles events.
According to the tournament referee, Ranti Lajide, this year’s tournament promises to be thrilling, especially with the inclusion of Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) by the National Sports Commission (NSC).
“Lajide said: “We are going to witness top-class table tennis, especially from players who recently featured in the ITTF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
“The knockout format of this year’s tournament will make it even more exciting and competitive. I hope we can conclude all matches before the closing ceremony on May 29,” Ranti said.
“The turnout of teams has been impressive, even from states that haven’t traditionally featured in the table tennis events of the NSF. Beyond the medals, I believe the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) will be able to discover new talents for future development,” he added.
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