Women’s singles defending champion Dina Meshref has announced her decision to withdraw from the 2024 ITTF African Championships. She cited the need to recuperate from several tournaments and trips undertaken before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.

Meshref, who is notably absent from the list of top players for the continental event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, remains optimistic about the Egyptian team’s chances. “I wanted a good break after the Olympic Games, so I withdrew a few days after returning home. I needed to free myself from any commitments and tournament preparations. I’ve been travelling extensively and training hard for years, and I needed at least a month to relax and make the right plans and decisions for the next stage of my career,” she explained.

Reflecting on her experience at the Paris Olympic Games, the six-time African champion described it as worthwhile. “I believe Team Egypt is very strong. Even in my absence, I am confident they can win several medals,” she said.

Meshref added, “Playing at the Paris Olympics was very enjoyable. I had a lot of fun with all the passionate spectators. Although I wished for a better draw in the round of 32, I am satisfied that I managed to play my best table tennis.”

The intense rivalry between Africa’s top table tennis nations, Egypt and Nigeria, will be reignited at the 2024 ITTF African Championships. This prestigious event will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from October 12 to 19.

Serving as qualifiers for the 2024 ITTF Mixed Team Cup in China and the 2025 World Championships in Qatar, the tournament will feature top teams and regional champions competing in two team events and five individual events: Men’s Teams, Women’s Teams, Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.

Returning to Ethiopia after 24 years, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) promises an exciting competition.

As the reigning champions, Egypt will face fierce competition from arch-rival Nigeria, along with strong contenders like Tunisia and Algeria.

Khaled El-Salhy, President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), expressed confidence in Ethiopia’s preparations, highlighting their successful hosting of the Eastern Regional Championships in 2023.

“We awarded the hosting right to Ethiopia after their presentation at the last AGM in Tunisia as well as the successful staging of the Eastern Regional Championships in 2023 which gave us a perfect indication that they deserve to get the host of the 2024 ITTF-African Championships especially that they have not hosted any African major events in Addis Ababa since 2000,” he added.

“We believe the Ethiopia Table Tennis Federation has the experience to ensure a smooth and seamless tournament,” he said.

“The level of competition will be high as players vie for qualification to the 2025 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.”

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.