Table Tennis
TABLE TENNIS FESTIVAL TO IGNITE LAGOS SAYS WAHID OSHODI
The annual Seamaster ITTF Challenge Plus Nigeria Open has continued to attract world class players to the commercial never centre of Nigeria, Lagos in the last five years and this has made the tournament to be regarded as Africa’s elite table tennis championships.
With the upgrading of the tournament to Challenge Plus by the world table tennis ruling body, chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the tournament, Wahid Oshodi believes the quality of players coming this year would surely ignite the tournament.
Particularly, with the hosting of the African Club Championships and Cup alongside the Seamaster ITTF Challenge Plus Nigeria Open, Oshodi says Nigerian fans are in for a super treat.
For Wahid Oshodi, table tennis has made Lagos the ‘official’ home of the sport in Africa particularly with the consistent staging of the Seamaster ITTF Challenge Plus Nigeria Open and this he said would continue to help local players to test their might against the world’s best.
“The knowledge and experience our home-based and young players gain from watching and playing against some of the best players in the world is invaluable.
“This in part makes up for the fact that our players lack the necessary exposure, which comes from travelling and playing on the circuit. We have been seeing the gains of staging the tournament in the good performances of our younger players on the Junior Circuit.
“We can see players like Olajide Omotayo, Tobi Falana and Nurudeen Hassan who have improved enough to gain entry into the senior national team.
“Also importantly thousands of passionate fans and recreational players get to see their heroes at close quarters, thus creating one of the most exciting events in our country,” Oshodi said.
The Chairman of the ITTF Nomination Committee however, acknowledged the challenges.
“There are various challenges in staging a tournament of this magnitude but some of the most critical include funding and infrastructural challenges.
“The tournament has grown in leaps and bounds since it was first conceived and that has led to a need for more funding and an upgrade in terms of the size of the hall and other facilities.
“The number of people working on the event also grows in tandem with the growth in number of the participants. We are very grateful to all the partners who keep supporting the growth of the event,” he added.
For 2019 edition, he said: “”We expect a lot more top players. The tournament is now an ITTF Challenge plus tournament.
“Lots more prize money $60,000 and the all important increased points which all the players are aiming to get in a bid for Olympic qualification.
“This year also with three tournaments preceding the Nigeria Open it will be a fantastic festival of top class table tennis. The Nigerian fans are in for a super treat.
“This year we have the ITTF Africa (Western Region) Singles Championships, the
Africa Clubs Championship and the Africa Singles Cup which is a qualifier for
the World Cup all coming up before the Nigeria Open.
“All packed into two weeks. From July 29 to August 11, we are assured of the best players on the continent and top players from all over the World. Omar Assar returns this year to try and claim the title from Aruna Quadri.
“A lot of sub plots going on. But importantly we have a top level training course for our umpires to be conducted by ITTF”s leading expert which will help improve their knowledge and also a training workshop for our young journalists to better assist them in reporting our sport. It’s a bumper packed fortnight,” Oshodi explained.
Giving an insight into the pedigree of players expected in 2019, Oshodi said:
“From the inquiries we have received so far we are expecting entries from the cream of World Table Tennis.
“Apart from the top players in Africa, we are expecting players from all over the world. We had 27 countries last year and we expect to beat that number this year by some margin.
“A lot of players ranked within the top 50 of World table tennis have indicated their interest. Once the prospectus is released in the next couple of weeks we expect the entries to flow in.”
Oshodi believes with the present form of African Champion, Aruna Quadri, he has the wherewithal to retain the Nigeria Open title.
“Aruna Quadri is getting back into good form after recovering from his hamstring injury which kept him out of the game for a bit.
“From his latest performances he is in good form and with the Nigerian fans right behind him and all the other Nigerian players he is capable of retaining the title.
“Last year was a real dream of a tournament for him. It will be tough though with the quality of players expected but you can never rule him out.
“Aruna is a class act and one of the biggest stars in the world. Playing at home before the ebullient Lagos fans you can fancy him against anybody in the world,” Oshodi enthused.
Nigeria’s Wahid Enitan Oshodi is the new Sherif in the African table tennis community having been unanimously elected as the president of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF).
His journey in sports administration started in 2000 when he was appointed into the Lagos State Sports Council Governing Board under the administration of Bola Tinubu who was then, the Lagos State governor.
He later became the chairman of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA when Babatunde Fashola was Governor of Lagos State.
In the same dispensation, he was appointed as Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development in 2011, and he supervised the most exciting National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012.
Thereafter he was elected President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) where he brought vibrancy to the sport unearthing international stars like Quadri Aruna and Olajide Omotayo.
Oshodi was recognised by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) as he was appointed the chairman of its Nomination Committee.
In 2019, he was elected the Deputy President of ATTF and in 2021, he beat candidates from China and Europe to top the voting for the post of the Executive Vice President of ITTF.
His ingenuity in sports administration has made Nigeria one of the table tennis hubs in the world.
On October 15, 2024 at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa he was unanimously elected as the 6th President of ATTF.
With his election, Oshodi is the only Nigerian currently presiding over a continental sports body.
A new era in the history of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) begins this Tuesday as Nigeria’s Wahid Enitan Oshodi is unanimously elected as the President of the 54-member continental sports body.
That is the high point of the Annual General Meeting of the continental body held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He thus becomes the only Nigerian heading a continental sports organisation.
His tenure is for four years he steps in to replace Khaled El-Salhy who served three terms from 2010 to 2024.
Before his ascension to the high seat, Oshodi was the Deputy President of ATTF and Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has announced a 10-member squad, predominantly featuring junior players, for the 2024 ITTF African Championships in Addis Ababa from October 12 to 19.
The final list, released by the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), includes seasoned stars like Quadri Aruna, Olajide Omotayo, Ajoke Ojomu, and Fatimo Bello.
Joining them are promising young talents such as Matthew Kuti, Muiz Adegoke, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Aishat Rabiu, Hope Udoaka, and Aziza Sezuo.
Matthew Kuti, who made his senior debut at the 2023 African Games in Ghana and competed in the 2023 African Championships in Tunis is West Africa champion and he will be making his second appearance at the continental event. In contrast, Adegoke and Abdulfatai will debut at the African Championships after leading the men’s team to victory at the 2024 West Africa Regional Championships in Lome, Togo.
Udoaka, West Africa women’s champion; Rabiu and Sezuo, products of NTTF’s grassroots efforts, will also make their first appearance at the African Championships.
These players featured in the maiden Daniel Ford tournament and they displayed exceptional skills to win the hearts of the national handlers.
NTTF Vice President Adesoji Tayo explained that including junior players is part of the federation’s strategy to expose them to top-class competition early.
“We decided a few years ago to unearth new players, and we are happy that some of these players are coming through. They represented the country at the regional tournament in Togo and competed against top players from the region.
“This is another opportunity for them to gain experience at the African Championships. We are not expecting too much from them because they still need to gain more confidence. They have experienced players like Aruna, Omotayo, Bello, and Ojomu to learn from. We hope they can hold their own against some of the best players in Africa,” Tayo said.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopia Table Tennis Federation (ETTF) has promised an exciting tournament that blends culture and sport. ETTF President Tesfaye Bizane hopes to use the event to showcase Ethiopia’s rich cultural heritage.
“Hosting the tournament after 24 years offers a unique chance to showcase Ethiopia’s cultural heritage and history, making the event more than just a sporting competition,” Bizane said.
“Visitors can expect a warm welcome and vibrant cultural experience in Ethiopia. As the birthplace of coffee, they will have the opportunity to taste authentic coffee directly from its source. Guests can explore various attractions, including the National Museum, which houses a 3.2 million-year-old fossil, zoos, aquariums, the African Union Headquarters, and the Adwa Memorial Museum.
“This rich blend of history, culture, and hospitality promises a memorable experience,” Bizane added.
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