Table Tennis
Nigeria’s Akingbemisilu dazzles at International Table tennis Masters Para Open in Italy
Nigeria’s Bolawa Akingbemisilu made his presence felt in his maiden international outing after upstaging some of the top players to settle for silver medal in class five division at the ITTF Lignano Masters Para Open 2023 concluded at the weekend in Italy.
However, settled for two silver and two bronze medals at the four-day F-20 ranking point championships. Akingbemisilu who was part of the 16-man team sponsored by the Delta State government to the first hurdle to Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in France.
Grouped alongside top rated players, he worked his way into the knockout stage where he caused one of the upsets after beating Commonwealth Games Jack Hunter 3-2 in the semifinal round.
Despite going down early in the game, the Nigerian fought back to beat the world number five and booked his place in the final against Serbia’s Mitar Palikuca.
Like he did in the semifinal, Akingbemisilu did not start well against the world number six but he rallied back and his efforts could not help him from losing the gold medal to the Serbian at 3-1.
The performance of Akingbemisilu was lauded by ITTF who tipped the Nigerian for the African title in near future.
Also, Commonwealth silver medalist Isau Ogunkunle earned the second silver in men’s class four after losing 3-2 in the final to Japan’s Kazuki Shichino. Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi settled for bronze in the women’s class five while Kehinde Lawal also claimed bronze in the women’s class nine.
According to the team manager, Sunday Odebode, the players gave a good account of themselves among some of the top players in the world as some of them were making their maiden international outing.
Specifically, Odebode thanked the Delta State government for their immense support and ensuring that the team took part in the tournament which served as a pathway to the Paralympic Games.
“We hope that we can have another opportunity to compete in another tournament like this before the African Paralympic qualifying tournament in Egypt come September.
“With their participation here, they have gained valuable points that will aid their eventual qualification to Paris.
“We thank Governor Okowa and Delta State Sports Commission for their huge backing to be part of this trip and we hope to win more laurels in major competitions like this,” he added.
Nigeria is the only African team that competed alongside 33 other countries with over 300 athletes competing in 39 events made up of singles and doubles divisions.
Egyptian teenage prodigy Hana Goda has etched her name into African sporting history after becoming the first African female player to reach the quarterfinals of the prestigious ITTF World Cup.
Goda’s landmark achievement, recorded on Friday in Macao, China, also saw her equal the feat set by Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, who became the first African to reach the last eight of the competition in 2014.
It has taken 12 years for Africa to produce another World Cup quarterfinalist, but Goda’s accomplishment carries even greater significance as she becomes both the first Egyptian and the first African woman to reach this stage of the tournament.
The 16-year-old announced her arrival in style during the group phase, dominating Group 14 with commanding 3-0 victories over Macao’s Leong On Na and Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching to advance to the knockout rounds.
Her defining moment came in a thrilling round-of-16 clash against France’s Jia Nan Yuan. After narrowly losing the opening game 11-9, Goda showed remarkable composure to fight back and level the contest before taking the lead. The experienced French opponent responded to push the match into a decisive seventh game.
In a dramatic finale, Goda trailed 7-10 but mounted a stunning comeback, saving match points to win 13-11 and secure a historic victory. Overcome with emotion, she collapsed to the floor in celebration after sealing her place in the quarterfinals.
“It is a joy and feeling that I can’t describe,” Goda said after the match. “It was a very strong match… we arrived at 3-3, and in the last game I was down 7-10 but fought back to win 13-11. Our Lord is generous.”
She also paid tribute to her coach, Hisham Ismail, for his unwavering belief throughout the contest.
Goda’s breakthrough represents a significant milestone for African table tennis, particularly for women’s participation in the sport, and signals a promising future for the continent on the global stage.
Her next challenge, however, will be formidable, as she is set to face world No. 1 Sun Yingsha of China in the quarterfinals.
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Africa’s leading table tennis star, Quadri Aruna, will spearhead the continent’s campaign at the 2026 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, after being handed a challenging group-stage draw for the centenary edition of the tournament.
The competition, scheduled from March 30 to April 5, carries historic significance as the International Table Tennis Federation celebrates 100 years of the sport’s global administration. A total of 48 men and 48 women will compete for the prestigious Evans and Hammarlund Cups.
Aruna, Africa’s most decorated player on the global stage and the only African to have reached the World Cup quarterfinals—achieved in 2014 in Düsseldorf—has been drawn in Group 6 alongside Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar and Japan’s Sora Matsushima. The Nigerian will open his campaign on Monday against Pucar in what is expected to be a crucial tie in a tightly contested group.
Other African representatives also face formidable opposition. Egypt’s Omar Assar is placed in Group 5 with Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Jun-Yu. Meanwhile, Algeria’s debutant Stephane Ouaiche faces a stern test against France’s Simon Gauzy and China’s Wen Ruibo in Group 15.
In the women’s event, Africa’s hopes rest on a mix of youth and experience. Egypt’s rising star Hana Goda, the reigning African champion, will compete in Group 14 against Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching and Macao’s Leong On Na, as she aims to improve on her last-16 finish in 2025.
Veteran Dina Meshref faces one of the toughest assignments in the tournament, drawn in Group 1 alongside China’s world number one Sun Yingsha and Lin Yu-Jhun.
Also in action, Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby will take on Germany’s Sabine Winter and Wales’ Anna Hursey in Group 12. At the same time, Algeria’s teenage prospect Tania Morice makes her debut in Group 16 against Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi and Romania’s Bernadette Szocs.
This year’s tournament introduces a significant format change, with Stage 1 group matches to be played as best-of-five games, increasing the intensity and leaving little margin for error. Only group winners will progress to the knockout stage, setting the stage for high-stakes encounters throughout the week.
With a difficult draw across both the men’s and women’s events, Africa’s representatives will need to deliver top-level performances to advance in what promises to be one of the most competitive editions in the tournament’s history.
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Nigeria’s Wahid Oshodi has reached another landmark in global sports administration following his appointment to the board of World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial arm of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
The historic appointment was announced during the ITTF Executive Board meeting held on March 1, 2026, at the WTT Headquarters in Singapore.
Following the allocation of portfolios, ITTF President Petra Sörling and ITTF Executive Vice President Oshodi were nominated to represent the federation on the WTT Board. At the board’s subsequent meeting, Sörling was confirmed as Chair, succeeding former chairmen Liu Guoliang and Khalil Al-Mohannadi.
As the majority owner of WTT, the ITTF stated that it has a responsibility to ensure the commercial platform generates sustainable value for the sport and its 227 member associations worldwide. The latest appointments, according to the federation, reflect a renewed commitment to strengthening governance and strategic oversight of WTT.
Other members remaining on the board include Lei Zhenjian and Steve Dainton.
Speaking on her new role, Sörling emphasised the need for strong leadership and financial sustainability.
“The ITTF has always been the foundation on which table tennis thrives, and WTT is our instrument to take it further,” she said. “As Chair of the Board, I am here to ensure that WTT operates with profitability, governance, accountability, and long-term vision.”
Oshodi, who also serves as President of the African Table Tennis Federation, said his focus would be on building a solid governance structure for the organisation’s long-term development.
“Strong governance is what gives an organisation the structure to grow sustainably. I look forward to contributing to that work as the Board focuses on putting solid foundations in place for WTT’s long-term development,” he said.
His appointment represents a historic milestone as he becomes the first African to serve as a full director on the WTT Board.
Since its creation in 2019, WTT has transformed the professional landscape of table tennis with a modern and commercially driven structure aimed at elevating the sport globally.
Oshodi’s elevation also strengthens Africa’s voice in global sports governance. He first rose to prominence as President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, where he introduced reforms focused on governance, transparency, grassroots development and talent identification.
He later emerged as President of ITTF Africa, championing initiatives to expand the sport across the continent, improve coaching standards and create more international opportunities for African players.
His appointment to the WTT Board is widely regarded as both a personal achievement and a continental milestone, underscoring Africa’s growing influence in the governance and future direction of world table tennis.
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