For five days, 25 cadet players from across Nigeria have been rigorously training at the National Stadium in Lagos during the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF)-organized National Hopes Week.

This event combines extensive training with competitive matches to select the squad that will represent Nigeria at the 2025 ITTF Africa Hopes Week and Challenge, scheduled for July in Lagos.

The exercise, which began on April 2, will culminate on Monday, April 7, with the announcement of a four-member squad comprising two boys and two girls who will form the Nigerian contingent for the continental challenge.

Supported by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and ITTF Africa, the National Hopes Week was conducted by ITTF-certified coaches.

These coaches provided the selected players with valuable knowledge and experience to aid their development.

During the one-week training, the players were introduced to basic techniques and tactics in table tennis.

The youth coaches, led by Ifeoma Isaac, praised the initiative.

“I must commend the leadership of NTTF for organizing this training for the U-12 players, particularly focusing on new techniques in table tennis. We realized that the players lacked footwork and backhand skills. Over the last six days, we have trained them and hope that such exercises will be regular to help the players continue improving their game for the benefit of the country,” Isaac said.

Coach Ganiyu Kadiri also acknowledged the impact of the training camp, expressing satisfaction with the players’ response.

“I am particularly thrilled with the players’ enthusiasm during the training. This enthusiasm is crucial when learning new skills and makes our work as coaches easier. We are confident that regular training, rather than one-off exercises, will help our players compete on par with their international counterparts in major tournaments,” Kadiri noted.

Some players shared their experiences, commending the NTTF and ITTF Africa for creating the platform. They believe the training program will significantly enhance their skills.

The 2025 ITTF Africa Hopes Week & Challenge is a platform for young table tennis players, and it is a crucial event in nurturing the next generation of African talent, developing skills, and preparing players for continental and World Hopes Week competitions.

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Current African Cup champion Omar Assar of Egypt began his campaign at the WTT Star Contender Chennai with a convincing victory in the first round of the Men’s Singles at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in India.

Assar, the No. 5 seed in the Men’s Singles, received a bye to the second round (round of 32) and showcased his best against Hong Kong’s Kwan Man Ho. Despite losing the first game 4-11, the Egyptian dug deep to win the next three games 11-7, 11-3, 12-10, progressing to the third round (last 16) where he will face the winner between South Korea’s Oh Junsung and Hong Kong’s Chan Baldwin on Saturday, March 29.

However, it was not a good outing for Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, the No. 4 seed, who was stunned by Chinese Taipei’s rising star Feng Yi-Hsin (13-11, 11-8, 11-8) in the second round. The 22-year-old curtailed Aruna in their maiden encounter, recording his first win against the highest-ranked African in the world.

Elsewhere, 16-year-old Flavien Coton of France bagged an upset win, outlasting No. 9 seed Alvaro Robles of Spain across four games (11-1, 11-3, 6-11, 13-11).

The biggest shock in the Women’s Singles action came at the expense of local hero Manika Batra, as the No. 9 seed succumbed to a round of 32 exit. Facing off against 21-year-old Huang Yu-Jie for the first time, it was the World No. 239 who stole the show, producing a magnificent display against Batra to send shockwaves across Chennai (11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9).

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Africa’s top table tennis players, Quadri Aruna from Nigeria and Omar Assar from Egypt have been listed among the top seeds for the 2025 WTT Star Contender Chennai.

This prestigious tournament, with a prize pool of $275,000, has attracted elite players from around the globe, including world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan and Brazil’s world No. 5 Hugo Calderano.

Harimoto and Calderano are the top two seeds in the Men’s Singles, followed by Denmark’s Jonathan Groth as the third seed. Aruna, the highest-ranked African player, is the fourth seed, with Assar closely behind as the fifth seed.

Both Aruna and Assar have received byes to the second round (last 32) in the Men’s Singles, where they will begin their campaigns to claim a significant share of the prize money.

Aruna, a late replacement for Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov, aims to improve on his second-round finish in 2024 with another strong performance in India.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium will host the competition over the next five days, featuring top table tennis talent across five disciplines.

The two-day qualifying rounds conclude on Wednesday, March 26, with the main draw action starting from Thursday, March 27 to 30.

The tournament offers not only a substantial prize pool but also crucial ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking points, making every match highly competitive.

In the Men’s Singles Qualifying, Nigeria-born Italian national champion John Oyebode, the No. 3 seed, showcased his dominance by defeating local hopeful Arnav Karnavar (11-4, 11-5, 11-2) in just 16 minutes.

Oyebode now faces Abhinandh Pradhivadhi in the final qualifying round for a spot in the main draw.

The Women’s Singles event sees a strong Japanese presence, with Hina Hayata leading the seeding list.

 Hayata, aiming to add another WTT Series win to her impressive collection of seven titles, is joined by Miwa Harimoto and Satsuki Odo. Harimoto, a two-time WTT Contender champion, seeks to make her mark at the WTT Star Contender level, while Odo aims for her first WTT Series breakthrough since her title run at WTT Champions Montpellier 2024.

Indian table tennis icon Sharath Achanta, along with Manav Thakkar and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, will compete for Men’s Singles glory, while Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula aim for success in the Women’s Singles, making it a historic week in Chennai.

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