Table Tennis
Aruna, Assar to renew rivalry in Nairobi
Quadri Aruna and Omar Assar will again take their rivalry to Nairobi, Kenya when the 2023 Africa Cup kicks off on May 4 to 6 at Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, Kenya.
Aruna who missed out from the title in 2022 after suffering a thigh injury in the final to concede the title to Assar at 4-3 will be hoping to reclaim the title following his recent form at international tournaments across the globe.
Aruna, presently ranked the 12th in the world, is the highest ranked African in the world while Assar is rated 33rd as the second best rated African.
Current African best ranked female Dina Meshref is at present in fine form following her display at the just concluded WTT Champions in China will be up against compatriot and defending champion Hana Goda who claimed her first continental title in Lagos last year.
Each participating country is expected to present two players each in men and women events while Egypt as the defending champions in men and women will nominate two players alongside the two champions.
Kenya as host will present four players each in men and women events while Brian Mutua will lead the East African team against the visitors.
Already, the organisers of the tournament, Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) has assured of a top class event having staged the same event in 2018.
The Africa Club Championships will precede the Africa Cup and both tournaments would serve as dress rehearsals for the first World Championships to be staged in Africa in 84 years, which is due to take place in Durban, South Africa from May 20 to 28.
President of KTTA Andrew Mudibo has no iota of doubt that Kenya is ready to host Africa.
“The preparation is on course and Kenya will be ready to host all delegations to the event.
“Yes, Kenya has started to host major events again and this is in line with our development agenda in terms of developing the local talents we have. In the past Kenya hosted the ITTF World Cup and we have also hosted the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships and several African events,” the KTTA chief stated.
He continued: “For us in Kenya, every event that one participates in is always a unique event.
“Only the competitors and delegations will be able to give a testimony on the ups and downs of the event that Kenya is hosting once they arrive here. We believe that as usual, the event will be one of great experience and good memories, which all will talk about for many years. That is the uniqueness we hope to achieve.
“The Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium, which is the venue of the event, is ready. Set-up for the event will be done two days before the championships kick off. The rooms at Ibis Styles where the teams will put up are ready to receive each member of the delegation.
“Kenya has put in place a fast-track visa process for all delegations coming for the event. The transport from the airport to the hotel and hotel to the venue is ready and we believe everything will run smoothly,” Mudibo assured.
Mudibo added that teams should expect to see the rich culture of Kenya on display at the event. “We are considering having some Kenyan cultural dances at either the opening or closing ceremony. Definitely we shall have something,” he disclosed.
Mudibo stressed that the Kenyan outing promised to be exciting. “As a sport table tennis is a festival we Africans celebrate each day.
“We shall showcase to the world that Africa has what it takes to hold world-class events and I am sure this will be the case with the World Championships later in the month of May which South Africa would host.
“Africa has come a long way in terms of competitiveness. Through such events, our players should be able to catch up with the rest of the World. If Africa can produce local, good players like Hana Goda of Egypt, then the future of table tennis is quite bright for Africa. This is just the tip of the iceberg to display our talent,” the KTTA boss said.
Otan Ayegbaju, a historic town in Southwestern Nigeria, will host 50 teams from states and clubs across the country for the 5th edition of the Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial National Table Tennis Championships in Osun State.
The tournament, sponsored by the Michael and Felicia Alabi Foundation and organised by the Osun State Table Tennis Association under the auspices of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), will take place at Idera Multi-Purpose Hall in Otan Ayegbaju from April 27 to May 3, 2025.
Participating teams will come from various states including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Taraba, Nasarawa, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Katsina, Niger, Zamfara, and the host state, Osun. Expected clubs include Aruna Sports Club, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Nigeria Police Force.
With over ₦11.5 million at stake, the one-week tournament will take place at the newly built Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial Table Tennis Hall.
Ayodeji Alabi, chairman of the Osun State Table Tennis Association, stated that the tournament aims to complement the federation’s efforts to discover new talent and empower youth across the country.
To enhance this year’s edition, the tournament promises a blend of sports and entertainment, with several artists scheduled to perform daily.
Alabi, a member of the ITTF Africa Committee, assured that all participants would be accommodated and fed throughout the event to motivate them to perform their best.
“Whoever comes to this tournament will take home a lot of happiness because we have an entertainment lounge featuring many artists. After the games, there will be comedy shows, music performances, and well-known disc jockeys. We are creating a diverse entertainment portfolio for everyone attending,” Alabi said.
Additionally, para and deaf events will be part of this year’s edition, with athletes competing in various categories including men’s singles, women’s singles, U-15 boys’ and girls’ singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, veteran singles, para men’s singles open, para women’s singles open, deaf men’s singles, deaf women’s singles, and local singles.
“This year, we expect about 400 to 450 participants, and we will house and feed them free of charge. This year’s tournament is different because we have created an environment where participants will sleep and eat well,” Alabi added.
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Solange Ngonda Tibesa, an Ogoja-based Cameroonian refugee, will be representing Nigeria at the fifth edition of the World Table Tennis Day 2025 event.
The WTTD 2025 is an event that is supported by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to promote the development of the game of table tennis at the grassroots level all over the world.
According to the ITTF, “Thirty promoters were selected for World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) 2025.
“Representing 27 countries and territories across all five continents. These passionate individuals will play a pivotal role in uniting communities and sharing the joy of table tennis on 23rd April 2025.”
A record 160 persons applied to be considered as WTTD 2025 promoters, out of which Solange and 29 other applicants from 27 countries and five continents applied to be considered.
Furthermore, the ITTF stated that they will provide Solange and the other promoters with financial assistance, capacity-building resources, and personalised guidance to align their initiatives with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the theme of diversity and inclusion.
Solange, who is currently a full-time staff member of Save the Children, is also a trained netball coach who supervises the compulsory twice-a-week training of the more than thirty netballers who are based at the Adagom 3 refugee camp.
During a telephone interview with our reporter, Solange stated that on 23rd April 2025, she and the Ogoja refugees table tennis organising committee hope to hold the event in the Adagom 1, Adagom 3 and Ukende camps.
Over one thousand persons are expected to attend this event in the three separate refugee camps. The event will be spiced up with a table tennis challenge, live music, health and well-being talks, and some light refreshments for the spectators.
Furthermore, Solange stated: “As an experienced community worker, I know the important role sports can play in bringing people together and giving them the opportunities to compete with each other under set rules, in a respectful manner. I am also aware that sports could be used to empower and provide psychosocial support to vulnerable persons, including the physically challenged.
“We hope to use the game of table tennis to reach out to my fellow Cameroonians and members of our host community in Ogoja.”
Finally, Solange commended the CSED (Community Sports and Educational Development) Initiative for bringing the WTTD 2025 grant advertisement to her attention and encouraging her to apply for WTTD 2025.
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Wahid Enitan Oshodi, President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ITTF Africa), has reaffirmed the continental body’s commitment to supporting coaches in their quest to match their foreign counterparts.
Speaking as a guest at the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF)-organized National Hopes Week, Oshodi emphasized the importance of coaches growing alongside their players through regular training and courses to enhance their knowledge of the sport.
Following the recent Level 2 Coaching Course held in Tunisia, Oshodi assured that more training opportunities would be provided for those shaping future stars in Africa. “First of all, you need a pathway. Coaches who participated in last year’s ITTF training camp, which included the Level 1 Coaching Course, are part of this pathway.
“We want to see what the coaches are doing and bring the players they’ve been working with. For me, the main criterion is age. We need these kids playing U-9 and U-10 to develop into top players early.
“The best players in the world now are U-21, so we can’t do things differently. From what we’ve seen so far, Nigeria is on the right path.”
Oshodi added, “With NTTF National Hopes Week, we hope to see more talents emerge quickly. We have 30-40 children from all over Nigeria taking part, and the talent pool is much larger than that.
“Our coaches are improving, and we’re working on getting new courses for them so they can transfer their knowledge to the children. We’re pleased with the progress, and the results are starting to show.”
Tunji Lawal, Chairman of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association, also praised the initiative.
“These are the future generations of Nigeria, and it’s great to see them in action.
“This shows we have potential in Nigeria, and future stars like Aruna Quadri are emerging. We’re glad to have this kind of initiative for the development of the game in Nigeria. I believe success comes from failure, so even if Lagos isn’t in the finals, it means we have more work to do to bring our players up to the required standard. We will continue to try and do our best,” Lawal said.
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