Table Tennis
Omar Assar inches closer to Aruna’s feat at Singapore Smash 2024 –
Egypt’s Omar Assar is now just one win away from equalling Quadri Aruna’s quarterfinal feat at last year’s Singapore Smash after the African Games champion braved the odd to hit the round of 16 of the Singapore Smash 2024.
In the first round, Assar had taken down local favourite – Quek Izaac, who defied the odds to reach the round of 16 last time out in the Lion City, but against the Egyptian he suffered an opening round defeat on Monday, March 11, losing out 3-1 (3-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4) to Assar.
Assar, who has never gone beyond round of 64 at the $1.5m prize money tournament, booked his ticket to the third round with a 3-2 (11-5, 11-8, 13-15, 9-11, 11-5) win over Lee Sang Su on Wednesday, March 13.
Twice he had exited Singapore Smash at the round of 64 hurdle in 2022 and 2023, Assar carried the hopes and dreams of a continent on his shoulders as the last African player left standing at the 2024 event.
Trailing the head-to-head record 2:5, Assar had not enjoyed the best time in recent match-ups in the rivalry, with his last victory over Lee coming in 2014. In their most recent encounter at WTT Champions Xinxiang 2023, Assar saw a two-game lead slip through his fingers, losing out over five games.
The two players would go the distance again, but this time Assar would have the last laugh, showing nerves of steel to hold off a late comeback charge against the Korean.
Falling on his back before turning to kiss the floor in celebration.
“Well, it was a match to remember, for sure. I mean, Lee Sang Su is an amazing player, one of the very rare players who has won against the top three Chinese in the world. He had already had an incredible tournament so far, beating Lin Gaoyuan, so I had all this in my mind. I expected that he would perform very well, which he did, and I was ready from the first point. This is what I’m very happy about. Usually I take a little bit of time, first set and then I start to build up. But tonight I was on fire from the beginning. Positive, good energy, good tactic and also accepting mistakes. So, this is what I’m very happy about today,” an excited Assar told WTT after the all-important win.
Awaiting Assar in the round of 16 is qualifying hero Sharath Kamal Achanta of India, who has rolled back the clock at Singapore Smash 2024, taking down world No.13 Darko Jorgic earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Aruna who despite back injury edged out South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon 3-2 (11-4, 4-11, 7-11, 11-9, 14-12) but on Tuesday, March 12, was shown the exit in the round of 16 by Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu with a 3-0 (12-14, 7-11, 9-11) loss.
Egyptian teenage prodigy Hana Goda has etched her name into African sporting history after becoming the first African female player to reach the quarterfinals of the prestigious ITTF World Cup.
Goda’s landmark achievement, recorded on Friday in Macao, China, also saw her equal the feat set by Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, who became the first African to reach the last eight of the competition in 2014.
It has taken 12 years for Africa to produce another World Cup quarterfinalist, but Goda’s accomplishment carries even greater significance as she becomes both the first Egyptian and the first African woman to reach this stage of the tournament.
The 16-year-old announced her arrival in style during the group phase, dominating Group 14 with commanding 3-0 victories over Macao’s Leong On Na and Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching to advance to the knockout rounds.
Her defining moment came in a thrilling round-of-16 clash against France’s Jia Nan Yuan. After narrowly losing the opening game 11-9, Goda showed remarkable composure to fight back and level the contest before taking the lead. The experienced French opponent responded to push the match into a decisive seventh game.
In a dramatic finale, Goda trailed 7-10 but mounted a stunning comeback, saving match points to win 13-11 and secure a historic victory. Overcome with emotion, she collapsed to the floor in celebration after sealing her place in the quarterfinals.
“It is a joy and feeling that I can’t describe,” Goda said after the match. “It was a very strong match… we arrived at 3-3, and in the last game I was down 7-10 but fought back to win 13-11. Our Lord is generous.”
She also paid tribute to her coach, Hisham Ismail, for his unwavering belief throughout the contest.
Goda’s breakthrough represents a significant milestone for African table tennis, particularly for women’s participation in the sport, and signals a promising future for the continent on the global stage.
Her next challenge, however, will be formidable, as she is set to face world No. 1 Sun Yingsha of China in the quarterfinals.
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Africa’s leading table tennis star, Quadri Aruna, will spearhead the continent’s campaign at the 2026 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, after being handed a challenging group-stage draw for the centenary edition of the tournament.
The competition, scheduled from March 30 to April 5, carries historic significance as the International Table Tennis Federation celebrates 100 years of the sport’s global administration. A total of 48 men and 48 women will compete for the prestigious Evans and Hammarlund Cups.
Aruna, Africa’s most decorated player on the global stage and the only African to have reached the World Cup quarterfinals—achieved in 2014 in Düsseldorf—has been drawn in Group 6 alongside Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar and Japan’s Sora Matsushima. The Nigerian will open his campaign on Monday against Pucar in what is expected to be a crucial tie in a tightly contested group.
Other African representatives also face formidable opposition. Egypt’s Omar Assar is placed in Group 5 with Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Jun-Yu. Meanwhile, Algeria’s debutant Stephane Ouaiche faces a stern test against France’s Simon Gauzy and China’s Wen Ruibo in Group 15.
In the women’s event, Africa’s hopes rest on a mix of youth and experience. Egypt’s rising star Hana Goda, the reigning African champion, will compete in Group 14 against Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching and Macao’s Leong On Na, as she aims to improve on her last-16 finish in 2025.
Veteran Dina Meshref faces one of the toughest assignments in the tournament, drawn in Group 1 alongside China’s world number one Sun Yingsha and Lin Yu-Jhun.
Also in action, Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby will take on Germany’s Sabine Winter and Wales’ Anna Hursey in Group 12. At the same time, Algeria’s teenage prospect Tania Morice makes her debut in Group 16 against Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi and Romania’s Bernadette Szocs.
This year’s tournament introduces a significant format change, with Stage 1 group matches to be played as best-of-five games, increasing the intensity and leaving little margin for error. Only group winners will progress to the knockout stage, setting the stage for high-stakes encounters throughout the week.
With a difficult draw across both the men’s and women’s events, Africa’s representatives will need to deliver top-level performances to advance in what promises to be one of the most competitive editions in the tournament’s history.
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Nigeria’s Wahid Oshodi has reached another landmark in global sports administration following his appointment to the board of World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial arm of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
The historic appointment was announced during the ITTF Executive Board meeting held on March 1, 2026, at the WTT Headquarters in Singapore.
Following the allocation of portfolios, ITTF President Petra Sörling and ITTF Executive Vice President Oshodi were nominated to represent the federation on the WTT Board. At the board’s subsequent meeting, Sörling was confirmed as Chair, succeeding former chairmen Liu Guoliang and Khalil Al-Mohannadi.
As the majority owner of WTT, the ITTF stated that it has a responsibility to ensure the commercial platform generates sustainable value for the sport and its 227 member associations worldwide. The latest appointments, according to the federation, reflect a renewed commitment to strengthening governance and strategic oversight of WTT.
Other members remaining on the board include Lei Zhenjian and Steve Dainton.
Speaking on her new role, Sörling emphasised the need for strong leadership and financial sustainability.
“The ITTF has always been the foundation on which table tennis thrives, and WTT is our instrument to take it further,” she said. “As Chair of the Board, I am here to ensure that WTT operates with profitability, governance, accountability, and long-term vision.”
Oshodi, who also serves as President of the African Table Tennis Federation, said his focus would be on building a solid governance structure for the organisation’s long-term development.
“Strong governance is what gives an organisation the structure to grow sustainably. I look forward to contributing to that work as the Board focuses on putting solid foundations in place for WTT’s long-term development,” he said.
His appointment represents a historic milestone as he becomes the first African to serve as a full director on the WTT Board.
Since its creation in 2019, WTT has transformed the professional landscape of table tennis with a modern and commercially driven structure aimed at elevating the sport globally.
Oshodi’s elevation also strengthens Africa’s voice in global sports governance. He first rose to prominence as President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, where he introduced reforms focused on governance, transparency, grassroots development and talent identification.
He later emerged as President of ITTF Africa, championing initiatives to expand the sport across the continent, improve coaching standards and create more international opportunities for African players.
His appointment to the WTT Board is widely regarded as both a personal achievement and a continental milestone, underscoring Africa’s growing influence in the governance and future direction of world table tennis.
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