Nigeria and Egypt reaffirmed their status as Africa’s leading para table tennis nations after dominating the 2025 ITTF-Africa Para Championships, which concluded on Sunday, November 23, in Giza, Egypt.
The four-day event doubled as a qualifier for the 2026 World Championships in Bangkok, drawing elite competitors from across the continent, including Algeria, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Nigeria finished narrowly ahead of the hosts on the medals table, clinching six gold medals to Egypt’s five in a closely contested championship that showcased the depth of talent across multiple classes.

Paralympics bronze medallist Isau Ogunkunle spearheaded Nigeria’s impressive outing with a commanding performance in the Men’s Singles Classes 4–5, while compatriots Adesope Abiola Wali, Farinloye Victor, and Lawal Kehinde also struck gold in their respective singles categories.

Nigeria further asserted its dominance in the mixed doubles. Ogunkunle teamed up with Kate Oputa to win the Mixed Doubles Class 10 title, before Adesope Abiola Wali and Kehinde combined to clinch gold in the Mixed Doubles Classes 14–20 event.

Côte d’Ivoire also enjoyed a moment of brilliance, with Bayala Jean Pierre capturing a spirited silver medal in the singles, adding a competitive edge to the tournament.

Egypt’s challenge was powered by strong singles victories, including Ramadan Khaled’s win over compatriot Elmahsy Ahmed in the Men’s Singles Classes 1–3, alongside Youssef Sayed’s commanding triumph against Abdelmoneim Abousteit in the Men’s Singles Classes 6–7.
The hosts added more golds through Abdelwahab Abdelrahman and Mahmoud Faiza in the women’s Classes 1–5, underscoring their depth on home soil.

Egypt’s doubles pedigree was on full display on the final day as Sayed and Abdelrahman edged Nigeria’s pair Adesope Abiola Wali and Agunbiade Tajudeen in a thrilling 3–2 contest to seal the Men’s Doubles MD18 title.

Tournament Director Amr Fahmy praised the growing profile of the championship, describing the 2025 edition as a “resounding success.”

“The level of competition continues to rise, with more athletes participating each year,” Fahmy said. “We are hopeful that future editions will attract even greater participation, further enhancing the growth and stature of this championship.”

At the close of competition, eight qualification slots for Bangkok 2026 had already been secured. Additional slots will be determined next year through African rankings, ensuring broader continental representation in the global showpiece.

With Nigeria and Egypt leading the way, the 2025 ITTF-Africa Para Championships reaffirmed Africa’s growing strength in para table tennis and set the stage for an exciting build-up to the world championships in Thailand.

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Nigeria’s Wahid Enitan Oshodi has been re-elected as Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), following the continuation of the federation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held online on Saturday, November 15, 2025.

The election also brought good news for Nigeria as Olabanji Oladapo, former Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), was confirmed as a member of the ITTF Council after the ratification of new council members.

Oshodi—who serves as President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ITTF Africa)—secured his seat in the first round of voting, which featured 15 candidates from across the world. He finished among the top seven elected, joining representatives from the United States, China, Turkey, Australia, Ecuador, Romania, and Jordan. Of the three African candidates — Oshodi, Egypt’s Alaa Meshref, and South Africa’s Hajera Kajee — he was the only one elected to the eight-member Vice Presidential team.

He and China’s Liu Guoliang are the only returning members of the outgoing executive board. Six new officials will join the board for the 2025–2029 term under ITTF President Petra Sörling.

A respected sports administrator, lawyer, and civil engineer, Oshodi has long been central to the development of table tennis in Nigeria and across the continent. He served as Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development from 2011, overseeing the successful organisation of the 2012 National Sports Festival and driving several sports infrastructure projects.

As President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation from 2013, he championed youth development, improved international competitiveness, and hosted ITTF Challenger tournaments in Lagos. His rise in continental governance began with his election as ITTF Africa Vice President (Western Region) in 2016, before becoming ATTF Deputy President in 2021 and ultimately its President in 2024.

Oshodi’s re-election ensures Africa retains a strong voice within the ITTF leadership, as he continues his work to broaden access, strengthen development pathways, and elevate the sport on the global stage.

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Egypt reaffirmed its status as the undisputed powerhouse of African table tennis with a commanding performance at the 2025 ITTF Africa Championships in Tunis, clinching gold in both the men’s and women’s team events — and sweeping all three doubles titles in a show of continental supremacy.

Led by continental icons Omar Assar and Hana Goda, the Egyptian teams were unstoppable throughout the eight-day championship, maintaining their dominance in a tournament that drew Africa’s finest talents.

In the women’s team final, Egypt proved too strong for Uganda, cruising to a 3–0 victory to retain their crown. The win marked Egypt’s 18th women’s team title, solidifying their place as the most successful nation in the history of the competition. Their previous triumphs date back to 1962, and include victories in 1964, 1968, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

In the men’s event, Egypt reclaimed continental supremacy by defeating Algeria in the final, having earlier edged defending champions Nigeria in a tense semifinal encounter. The triumph brought Egypt’s men’s team title tally to 16, reinforcing their long-standing dominance of African table tennis.

While Egypt celebrated history, Uganda made their own by becoming the first East African nation to reach the women’s team final. The trio of Judith Nangozi, Judith Mirembe, and Jemimah Nakawala stunned Nigeria 3–1 in the semifinals before settling for silver.

In the men’s category, Morocco returned to the continental spotlight by claiming bronze after a 3–1 semifinal loss to Algeria, while Nigeria secured bronze by finishing third following their semifinal defeat to Egypt.

The individual events further highlighted Egypt’s superiority. Omar Assar etched his name deeper into history by winning a record fifth men’s singles title, while Hana Goda, the teenage sensation, became the youngest and first-ever player to win the women’s singles title three consecutive times.

Egypt’s sweep extended to the doubles events, capturing gold in Mixed Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Men’s Doubles.

In the Mixed Doubles final, defending champions Youssef Abdelaziz and Mariam Alhodaby retained their crown with a straight-sets victory (11–4, 11–7, 11–9) over compatriots Mostafa Badr and Marwa Alhodaby.

The newly formed pair of Dina Meshref and Hana Goda triumphed in the Women’s Doubles, defeating the Alhodaby twins, Mariam and Marwa, 3–1 (11–9, 11–8, 9–11, 11–4) to claim their first title together — building on their impressive run to the final at the WTT Contender Lagos in July.

In the Men’s Doubles, Youssef Abdelaziz added to his medal collection by partnering Mohamed El-Beiali to overcome Algeria’s Bella Maheidine and Jellouli Milhane 3–1 (11–7, 8–11, 11–6, 11–2) in an enthralling final.

With their latest clean sweep, Egypt has once again stamped its authority as Africa’s table tennis superpower — blending experience, youthful flair, and unmatched consistency to reign supreme on the continental stage.

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