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 23^rd 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 23^rd 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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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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