Table Tennis
African Stars Chase ITTF World Cup Tickets at Libya Africa Cup
Africa’s top table tennis players will converge on Benghazi, Libya, from February 7 to 9 as they compete for qualification spots at the 2026 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China.
For the first time in the sport’s history, Libya’s second-largest city will host a major continental table tennis championship, with the iconic Al-Nasr Sports Club set to stage the ITTF Africa Cup. The tournament brings together elite men’s and women’s players from across the continent, all chasing podium finishes and automatic qualification for the global showpiece in Macao.
The stakes are particularly high, as semifinalists in both the men’s and women’s singles events will secure direct tickets to next month’s World Cup, offering African stars a pathway to compete against the world’s best.
For the International Table Tennis Federation and its continental arm, ITTF Africa, the decision to stage the championship in Libya goes beyond competition, symbolising the sport’s growing reach and its unifying role across Africa.
President of ITTF Africa, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, commended the Libyan Table Tennis Federation for its commitment to hosting the event, describing the tournament as a celebration of both diversity and unity within the sport.
“Gatherings such as this celebrate both our diversity and our unity, defining what it means to be part of the table tennis family,” Oshodi said, while praising Libya’s enthusiasm in welcoming athletes, officials and fans from across the continent.
ITTF President Petra Sörling also highlighted the rising global profile of African table tennis, noting that the Africa Cup has become a strong reflection of the continent’s growing influence within the international game.
“Through sustained efforts in competition delivery, high-performance development and organisational capacity, African table tennis continues to strengthen its foundations and broaden its impact on the world stage,” Sörling said.
The 2025 edition of the Africa Cup carries added significance as table tennis approaches a historic milestone. Oshodi pointed to the centenary of the ITTF in 2026 and the World Team Championships scheduled for London as the culmination of a century of progress.
“The ITTF Africa Cup provides an invaluable opportunity for our players and teams to sharpen their preparations, foster competitive excellence and nurture the spirit of table tennis throughout the region,” he said.
Sörling, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, praised Libya’s boldness in hosting the event during such a landmark period, noting that Africa’s role within the global sporting movement continues to expand, with major milestones ahead, including preparations for the first-ever Youth Olympic Games to be staged on the continent.
Within that broader context, she added, the ITTF Africa Cup stands as both a celebration of African ambition and a clear statement of the continent’s confidence and future potential in the world of table tennis.
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Nigeria have been drawn in a challenging group for the 2026 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals, where they will face Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and South Africa in Group 15 of the men’s competition.
The draw was conducted on Monday at The Shard in London, officially launching celebrations for the centenary edition of the World Championships, which will run from April 28 to May 10, 2026.
Speaking at the ceremony, ITTF President Petra Sörling highlighted the historic significance of the event.
“From London to London, we have come full circle,” she said. “England has hosted the World Championships on seven occasions, but returning to where it all began makes this centenary edition truly special. This event is already historic, but I am confident it will also be unforgettable.”
Nigeria’s men’s team, led by Africa’s top-ranked player Quadri Aruna, face a demanding group that includes Hong Kong, renowned for its highly talented young players, Middle Eastern powerhouse Saudi Arabia, and familiar continental rivals South Africa.
In the women’s competition, Nigeria have been drawn in Group 11, where captain Fatimo Bello will lead the team against Australia, Uzbekistan and hosts Wales.
African champions Egypt also feature prominently at the championships. In the men’s event, Omar Assar will captain Egypt in a relatively favourable Group that includes Kazakhstan, Turkey and Thailand. Egypt’s women’s team, led by rising star Hana Goda, will compete in a group featuring Algeria, South Africa and Syria.
Defending champions China, winners of the last 11 men’s titles, headline Group 1 alongside host nation England, five-time champions Sweden and the Czech Republic. Silver medallists from the previous edition, France, have been drawn in Group 2 with Japan, Germany and Chinese Taipei as they seek their first Swaythling Cup triumph.
In the women’s draw, hosts England are in Group 2 with Japan, Germany and France, while record 23-time Corbillon Cup winners China lead Group 1 against Korea Republic, Chinese Taipei and Romania.
The draw ceremony attracted a host of distinguished figures, including ITTF President and IOC Member Petra Sörling, ITTF Executive Vice President Beatrice Romanescu, World Table Tennis CEO Steve Dainton, Chair of Table Tennis International Events Richard Scruton, Table Tennis England Chair Clare Briegal MBE, Table Tennis England President and former world championship medallist Jill Parker MBE, England men’s star and three-time Olympian Paul Drinkhall, ITTF Nominations Committee Chair Sandra Deaton, and UK Sport Deputy Director Esther Britten MBE.
Competition at London 2026 will be staged across two venues. The top eight seeds in each event will contest Stage 1a at the OVO Arena Wembley from May 2 to 3, with all teams advancing to Stage 2. Stage 1b will take place at the Copper Box Arena from April 28 to May 1, where 56 teams in each competition will battle for the remaining 24 places in the main draw, with group results determining seeding for the knockout rounds.
London 2026 marks exactly 100 years since the first World Table Tennis Championships were held in the city in 1926, making the upcoming tournament the most significant edition in the history of the event.
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African powerhouses Nigeria and Egypt will lead the continent’s challenge at the 2026 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, scheduled to take place in London from April 28 to May 10.
The build-up to the global showpiece begins on Monday, January 26, when the official draws will be conducted at The Shard, London’s tallest building, officially setting the stage for the historic tournament.
Africa will be strongly represented in both categories. In the men’s event, 12 African teams will be among the 64 nations competing, while 11 African teams will feature in the women’s competition. The expanded continental presence coincides with the centenary celebrations of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Qualification for the championships was achieved through multiple pathways, with 52 teams in each category emerging from continental championships, 11 qualifying via the November 2025 world rankings, and host nation England completing the 64-team field.
Alongside Nigeria and Egypt, Africa’s men’s representatives include Benin, Tunisia, Algeria, Togo, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Angola. The women’s line-up features Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Madagascar, Algeria, Tunisia, Uganda, South Africa, Angola, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 2026 championships carry special historical significance, marking 100 years since the inaugural ITTF World Table Tennis Championships were staged in England in 1926. A century later, the sport returns to its birthplace for a landmark anniversary edition.
The tournament will span 13 days across two iconic London venues, with 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams contesting honours. The competition will be played in three phases, beginning with group-stage matches to determine qualification routes, followed by seeding matches for top-ranked teams, before culminating in knockout rounds that will decide the world champions.
Regarded as the pinnacle of international table tennis, the ITTF World Championships are set once again to provide a global stage for elite competition, as London prepares to host a centenary celebration of the sport.
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Table Tennis
NTTF Petitions ITTF After Nigerian Players Denied Visas for World Youth Championships in Romania
Nigeria’s participation at the 2025 World Youth Table Tennis Championships has been thrown into jeopardy after players of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) were denied entry visas to Romania, prompting the federation to file a formal petition to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
The development has sparked widespread concern in Nigeria’s table tennis community, especially as the affected athletes were scheduled to compete in one of the sport’s most prestigious global youth competitions.
In a strongly worded letter signed by NTTF President Adesoji Tayo, the federation condemned the visa refusal, describing it as a breach of the values of fairness, inclusivity and global cooperation that international sport is meant to uphold.
“As an official representative of Nigeria and Africa in this prestigious global event, I firmly believe that the reasons provided for the visa refusal are unjust, discriminatory, and contrary to the spirit of unity which international sports is designed to foster,” Tayo wrote.
Nigeria had qualified to represent Africa in the boys’ U-19 and U-15 team events after emerging continental champions at the African Youth Championships in Lagos. The squad had undergone weeks of intensive preparation, only for the entire campaign to be derailed at the final hurdle.
The NTTF said the denial has not only affected the morale of the young players and their coaches but has also resulted in significant financial losses, with travel and accommodation already booked.
The federation emphasised that Nigeria should not bear any penalties arising from the team’s forced absence.
“Since our inability to participate is not a fault of NTTF, we hereby formally notify the ITTF and the host federation, Romania Table Tennis Federation, that NTTF will not be liable for any penalties or financial obligations arising from accommodation or hospitality reservations made in relation to this event,” the letter stated.
Tayo called on the ITTF to urgently intervene and ensure such situations do not recur, warning that the setback undermines Nigeria’s long-term plan to groom another generation of world-class table tennis stars.
The ITTF is yet to issue a public response.
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