After six days of intense training, culminating in a two-day tournament under the guidance of ITTF-certified coaches, the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has selected eight players—four boys and four girls—to represent Nigeria at the 2025 ITTF Africa Hopes Week and Challenge, scheduled for July in Lagos.

The training session, held at the National Training Centre of the National Stadium in Lagos from April 2 to 7, saw the participation of 25 cadet (U-12) players from across the country.

Supported by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and ITTF Africa, National Hopes Week provided young athletes with valuable knowledge and experience to aid their development in the sport.

In the boys’ singles, Samson Joshua of Kogi emerged victorious, defeating Umar Ayoola of Oyo 4-2.

In the girls’ singles, Elizabeth Emelike of Abia triumphed over Deborah Faleye of Edo with a 4-1 win. All semifinalists in both the boys’ and girls’ singles events were selected to form Team Nigeria for the continental Hopes Challenge.

Joining Joshua and Ayoola in the boys’ squad are Lagos’ Juwon Ogunshakin and Habib Adebayo. The girls’ team will include Lagos State’s Semilore Owoiya and Emmanuella Ahaibu, alongside Emelike and Faleye.

An excited Emelike described the training as an excellent platform for improving her skills and aspiring to dominate the sport in Nigeria.

“I feel happy and great at the tournament, and I hope to become champion in my next tournament and win every tournament in the country.

“During the training, I learned how to serve, topspin, and receive various types of balls, as well as footwork. I will go back home and train more,” she said.

Joshua believes his victory marks the beginning of a promising career in table tennis. “I feel happy and thank my coach for allowing me to participate and perform well in the tournament. I thank God.

“My forehand topspin was good in the final match because I knew my opponent couldn’t follow up, so I used my energy to play the game,” the Kogi youngster said.

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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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