Olympics
ITTF Seeds Aruna, Assar in Top 16 of Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Following the official seeding list for the Table Tennis competitions of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Omar Assar have been seeded in 14th and 16th places respectively in the Men’s Singles event.
Also, the likes of Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo, Egypt’s Mohammed El-Beiali, Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa, Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw, and Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu are expected to know their first-round opponents when the draws take place on July 24.
According to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the seeding list was based on the ITTF World Rankings released yesterday evening.
Aruna who is ranked 19th in the world has been seeded 14th while Assar rated 22nd has been seeded 16th and they are expected to begin their campaigns from the second round of the Men’s Singles.
In the Women’s Singles seeding list, Egypt’s Dina Meshref missed the top 16 list by a whisker to concede the 16th place to WTT Contender Lagos champion, India’s Sreeja Akula.
With this development, Meshref who is seeded 17th, and her compatriot Hana Goda seeded 20th will begin their campaign from the second round of the Women’s Singles.
Nigeria’s pair of Offiong Edem and Fatimo Bello as well as Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou and Algeria’s Lynda Loghraibi will also begin their quest for glory from the second round of the Women’s Singles.
As table tennis celebrates its 10th appearance at the Olympic Games, this list sets the stage for captivating battles across all categories.
World No. 1, China’s Wang Chuqin takes the top seed in the Men’s Singles event and he is followed by compatriot and Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, Fan Zhendong.
Both players will be aiming to get their first gold medal in Men’s Singles and become the sixth Chinese player to take home the Men’s Singles gold.
French favourite, Felix Lebrun, seeded third, is a strong contender for a podium finish after a recent ITTF World Championships team silver medal and a strong showing at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana.
Elsewhere, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju have been named the fourth and fifth seeds in the Men’s Singles draw.
China remains a major force in Women’s Singles, but their top seeds face fierce competition. Sun Yingsha, with a recent World Championships title and World Cup victory, stands at the top of the list. The reigning Tokyo 2020 champion, Chen Meng, sits just behind, setting the stage for a potential clash and repeat of the 2020 Gold medal match.
However, the Chinese stars will face strong competition from the rest of the field. Japan’s Hina Hayata, seeded third, 2023 WTT Contender Lagos Shin Yubin of Korea Republic, seeded fourth, and Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, seeded fifth, have all proven their ability to threaten China in major tournaments.
There will be fierce battles in the Team Events and Mixed Doubles. China remains the top seed in both Men’s and Women’s Team events, but established teams like Germany and Japan are determined to dethrone them.
In the Mixed Doubles, China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, the top seeds, will face stiff competition from Japan’s Hina Hayata and Tomokazu Harimoto who are seeded second, and third seeds, Korea’s Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin.
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.
The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.
A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.
The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.
The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.
Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.
The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.
With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.
Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.
For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
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Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.
The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.
For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.
Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Morocco’s senior women’s national team will on Wednesday learn their opponents and qualification pathway to the football event of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games when the Confederation of African Football stages the official draw in Cairo.
The draw, billed for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, marks the starting point of Africa’s qualifying campaign, with 35 nations set to battle for just two coveted Olympic slots.
For Morocco, the exercise represents another significant step in the country’s rapidly rising profile in women’s football. The Atlas Lionesses, who have emerged as one of Africa’s most improved sides in recent years, will be aiming to secure a historic qualification for the Olympic Games.
The North Africans will face stiff competition from traditional powerhouses such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana, alongside other ambitious sides including Zambia and Senegal.
Also in the race are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
CAF confirmed that the qualifiers will unfold across five rounds, with the field gradually trimmed down until only two teams remain to represent Africa at the Olympics in the United States from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Morocco are expected to be among the seeded teams for the early rounds, a reflection of their recent performances on the continental stage, including their strong showing at recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Wednesday’s draw in Cairo will therefore be crucial in determining Morocco’s early matchups and the potential obstacles on their path, as they seek to translate recent progress into a maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.
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