Table Tennis
Nigeria, Egypt Get Tricky Draws For 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championship –
![Assar, Aruna, lead six other Africans to 2024 ITTF World Cups](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Assar-Aruna-lead-six-other-Africans-to-2024-ITTF-World.png)
Africa’s table tennis powershouses – Nigeria and Egypt have been handed tricky groups in the men and women events of the 2024 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) taking place in Busan, South Korea.
The draw for the eagerly awaited WTTC Finals Busan 2024 was unfolded on Tuesday January 16, at the Busan e-Sports Arena, signifying a milestone as Korea Republic hosts this event for the first time.
Anticipation surges as the stage is now set. In a month exactly, from 16 to 25 February, the pinnacle of table tennis talent from across the globe will vie for the prestigious title.
All eyes were already on Busan as the battle lines were drawn. Fans turned out in force for the occasion and over 3.5m viewers tuned in to the broadcast to see just where their favourite teams would land.
The stellar audience hints at the atmosphere that waits around the corner when the matches get underway next month.
Nigeria’s men’s team has been drawn in Group 5 alongside Asian giants – Japan and Chinese Taipei as well as Czech Republic and Madagascar.
The women’s team has Germany, Slovakia, Poland and Mexico to contend with in Group 3 as the top eights from the tournament get automatic tickets to Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.
African champion Egypt will battle in Group 8 of the men’s event against Portugal, Romania, Iran and Thailand while their ladies’ team will slug it out against European teams – France, Czech Republic, Ukraine and Croatia in Group 8 as well.
Algeria has been drawn in Group 4 in the men and women events as the men contend with France, Australia, Denmark and Austria while their women’s contingent will battle Chinese Taipei, USA, Thailand and Chile.
Following the withdrawal of Tunisia’s men and women teams as well as Mauritius’ women team, South Africa was listed among the contenders and they have been pitched against Japan, Brazil, Luxembourg, and Iran in Group 2 of the women’s event.
The defending champions, China, occupy the top-seeded positions in both the men’s and women’s team events as the Women’s Teams of China is placed in Group 1 with Hungary, India, Spain and Uzbekistan.
While Hungary has a long history of winning medals in the championships, they will be hard-pressed to get past the defending champions.
Led by World No.1 Sun Yingsha, Team China is chasing their 23rd title in the event and are frontrunners to top the podium once again.
Both the Men’s and Women’s Teams events will see eight groups of five teams looking to advance to the knockout rounds.
Each match is decided by best of five singles matches, with individual matches being best of five games. Each group will play a round-robin, meaning each team faces off against the other four teams in their group.
After the round-robin is completed, the top three teams from each group advance to the knockout phase. Twenty four teams advance in total, getting a final shot at the title. Group winners will receive seeded positions, with the rest drawn into the knockout rounds in a way that ensures teams from the same group would not meet again in the first round.
As the countdown to Busan 2024 enters its final month, fans worldwide can eagerly anticipate the world’s top teams vying for the coveted Swaythling and Corbillon Cups.
Across ten days of intense table tennis action, the event will not only showcase unparalleled skill but also mark a historic chapter in the Korea Republic’s legacy.
Table Tennis
Nigeria absent as African youths converge in Botswana
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ITTF-AFRICA.png)
Nigeria is conspicuously absent from the 2024 ITTF Africa Youth Championships, which are currently underway in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.
Despite being one of the leading African teams, Nigeria is not participating in this prestigious event.
In the 2023 edition held in Agadir, Morocco, the Nigerian contingent managed to compete thanks to the support of Friends of Table Tennis, who funded their trip.
However, despite qualifying for the 2023 ITTF World Youth Championships, the team could not honour the event.
Following weeks of preparation, the players were informed that they would not be able to travel due to the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) failing to secure necessary support from the Federal Ministry of Sports Development.
Botswana is making history by hosting the continent’s finest young players for the first time in African table tennis.
Unfortunately, Nigeria, a high-profile team, is missing from the action at the championships, which began on Monday, July 15. The Botho University Hall in Gaborone serves as the venue for this exciting event.
Having previously hosted regional championships, Botswana is thrilled to stage one of Africa’s elite tournaments. Motswagole Kudzanani, President of the Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA), emphasized that hosting the tournament would lead to all-round improvement for table tennis.
He stated, “Hosting provides a platform to build our capacity and expose our athletes to international standards. It also increases our brand visibility, showcasing our capabilities and helping us identify areas for growth.”
This year’s championships feature an increased number of participating nations compared to the 2023 edition. The participating countries include Botswana, Congo DRC, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Benin Republic, Guinea, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Furthermore, the seven-day continental championships serves as African qualifiers for the 2024 ITTF World Youth Championships, scheduled to take place in Helsingborg, Sweden, in November.
Table Tennis
Indian Sensation, Thakkar, Eyes WTT Contender Lagos Glory
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Manav-Thakkar.jpg)
When Manav Thakkar competed at the 2023 edition of the WTT Contender Lagos, he never envisaged what would happen and despite his round of 16 exit, the tournament marked the beginning of his rise in the world rating.
Already listed for the 2024 edition of the first WTT Series in Sub-Saharan Africa, the 24-year-old is eagerly looking for another fortune to smile on him in the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, when the tournament serves off on June 19 to 23 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
“As of today, I’m ranked 59 in the world but last year I was 140 before the 2023 WTT Contender Lagos and Lagos was the first event where I reached the last 16 after winning against higher-ranked players. Apart from my ranking, my level improved….so this year I’m also very hopeful that I will do well,” he said.
The former U-21 World No. 1 star described his maiden experience in Lagos as one of the best moments in his career particularly in terms of the massive support from the Lagos fans. “The experience compared to other tournaments was very good for me. I enjoyed the food in Lagos. There were many varieties and I also got a lot of support from the people when I was playing the matches. These were the major things that helped me to do well in the event last year.
“The unique thing about the event in Lagos is the food and the people. There is a bit of traffic in Lagos and there is also traffic in India as well, so I am used to it. People cheered every player during the matches and we players enjoyed playing it compared to other events and the food in terms of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I could remember that the hotel used to give us one special Indian dish every day and the people were very friendly and helpful in Lagos,” Thakkar added.
For this year, Thakkar is optimistic about exceeding his 2023 round of 16 feat. “My expectation this year is to win a medal in singles and doubles as well as in mixed doubles. I am really excited and looking forward to playing at the event in Lagos,” the right-handed shakehand grip star said.
Table Tennis
Aruna returns to top 16, battles Croat at WTT Contender Zagreb
![Assar, Aruna, lead six other Africans to 2024 ITTF World Cups](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Assar-Aruna-lead-six-other-Africans-to-2024-ITTF-World.png)
Quadri Aruna continues his steady rise on the ITTF Ranking as the Nigerian gained one step up the ladder to occupy the 16th spot as the highest African ranked player in Week 23 of the 2024 ITTF Ranking released by the world table tennis ruling body on Tuesday, June 4.
Also, Aruna’s quest to garner more points ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France has pitted him against home-boy Frane Kojic in the first round of the men’s singles at the 2024 WTT Contender Zagreb taking place in Serbia.
Aruna who started his rise in the ranking in Week 22 after his round of 16 finish at the Saudi Smash last month had his appeal accepted by the ITTF Executive Board for his World Table Tennis Championships points to be restored and this prompted his movement to 16th place in the latest ranking.
However, Aruna awaits formal confirmation from ITTF for his qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on June 11 when the world ranking will be used to determine the final list of players who will join the flight to France’s most populous city, Paris next month.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Alvaro Robles has become the biggest mover in the ITTF Ranking as the Spaniard achieved another career-high ranking. It has been over six years since Robles has scored a career-high ranking as the Spaniard kicked off 2018 sitting at No.37 in the world and had never been as high since. But with the latest rating, Robles jumped 15 places up the ladder to No.32, shaving five places off his previous record.
This is a phenomenal testament to the stalwart’s commitment to the sport and also to his recent form as the 33-year-old has been to the final of two WTT events in 2024, including last week’s WTT Contender Mendoza. Although he lost out on the title in a thrilling seven-game duel with Benedikt Duda of Germany, the new career-high ranking will add further fuel to Robles’ fire to go even higher.
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