Blow for Nigeria as Country Set to Miss African Table Tennis Championships

Nigeria's standing as an African table tennis powerhouse faces a significant blow as the nation is set to miss the 2026 African Table Tennis Championships. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Morocco later this year. This absence is a direct consequence of Nigeria's failure to compete in the Western Region Championships held in Conakry, Guinea, which served as a critical qualifying event.

The Nigerian quartet of Matthew Kuti, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Favour Ojo, and Khadijat Okanlawon were expected to participate in Conakry. However, their participation was thwarted by financial difficulties. The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) struggled to cover mounting expenses, including the costs associated with an ongoing training camp for junior players at Babcock University in Ogun State.

Despite this major setback, the NTTF managed to send four cadet players, Umar Ayoola, Habeeb Adebayo, Emmanuella Shaibu, and Elizabeth Emenike, to Accra, Ghana, for the 2026 Africa Hopes Week & Challenge. Additionally, a 16-man contingent, led by Kuti and Ojo, is scheduled to depart for Accra this weekend to compete in the 2026 African Youth Championships and Cup (BRF Cup).

NTTF President Adesoji Tayo expressed deep regret over the withdrawal from the Guinea tournament. He explained that despite efforts to secure funding, prohibitive flight costs and a lack of support from the National Sports Commission (NSC) rendered the trip impossible. Tayo acknowledged that missing the regional qualifiers in Guinea could have long-term repercussions, potentially impacting Nigeria's qualification prospects for the 2027 World Championships and damaging its continental reputation.

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In the last two weeks, our young players have been in camp preparing for the three events in Ghana and Guinea. With support from friends of table tennis and the management of Babcock University, we provided a conducive environment for training and ensured that the cadet players heading to Ghana departed last weekend. Unfortunately, our request for NSC’s support for the Guinea trip was unsuccessful, and the prohibitive flight ticket prices forced us to withdraw. This competition also served as qualifiers for the 2026 African Championships in Morocco.