Table Tennis
TABLE TENNIS FESTIVAL TO IGNITE LAGOS SAYS WAHID OSHODI
The annual Seamaster ITTF Challenge Plus Nigeria Open has continued to attract world class players to the commercial never centre of Nigeria, Lagos in the last five years and this has made the tournament to be regarded as Africa’s elite table tennis championships.
With the upgrading of the tournament to Challenge Plus by the world table tennis ruling body, chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the tournament, Wahid Oshodi believes the quality of players coming this year would surely ignite the tournament.
Particularly, with the hosting of the African Club Championships and Cup alongside the Seamaster ITTF Challenge Plus Nigeria Open, Oshodi says Nigerian fans are in for a super treat.
For Wahid Oshodi, table tennis has made Lagos the ‘official’ home of the sport in Africa particularly with the consistent staging of the Seamaster ITTF Challenge Plus Nigeria Open and this he said would continue to help local players to test their might against the world’s best.
“The knowledge and experience our home-based and young players gain from watching and playing against some of the best players in the world is invaluable.
“This in part makes up for the fact that our players lack the necessary exposure, which comes from travelling and playing on the circuit. We have been seeing the gains of staging the tournament in the good performances of our younger players on the Junior Circuit.
“We can see players like Olajide Omotayo, Tobi Falana and Nurudeen Hassan who have improved enough to gain entry into the senior national team.
“Also importantly thousands of passionate fans and recreational players get to see their heroes at close quarters, thus creating one of the most exciting events in our country,” Oshodi said.
The Chairman of the ITTF Nomination Committee however, acknowledged the challenges.
“There are various challenges in staging a tournament of this magnitude but some of the most critical include funding and infrastructural challenges.
“The tournament has grown in leaps and bounds since it was first conceived and that has led to a need for more funding and an upgrade in terms of the size of the hall and other facilities.
“The number of people working on the event also grows in tandem with the growth in number of the participants. We are very grateful to all the partners who keep supporting the growth of the event,” he added.
For 2019 edition, he said: “”We expect a lot more top players. The tournament is now an ITTF Challenge plus tournament.
“Lots more prize money $60,000 and the all important increased points which all the players are aiming to get in a bid for Olympic qualification.
“This year also with three tournaments preceding the Nigeria Open it will be a fantastic festival of top class table tennis. The Nigerian fans are in for a super treat.
“This year we have the ITTF Africa (Western Region) Singles Championships, the
Africa Clubs Championship and the Africa Singles Cup which is a qualifier for
the World Cup all coming up before the Nigeria Open.
“All packed into two weeks. From July 29 to August 11, we are assured of the best players on the continent and top players from all over the World. Omar Assar returns this year to try and claim the title from Aruna Quadri.
“A lot of sub plots going on. But importantly we have a top level training course for our umpires to be conducted by ITTF”s leading expert which will help improve their knowledge and also a training workshop for our young journalists to better assist them in reporting our sport. It’s a bumper packed fortnight,” Oshodi explained.
Giving an insight into the pedigree of players expected in 2019, Oshodi said:
“From the inquiries we have received so far we are expecting entries from the cream of World Table Tennis.
“Apart from the top players in Africa, we are expecting players from all over the world. We had 27 countries last year and we expect to beat that number this year by some margin.
“A lot of players ranked within the top 50 of World table tennis have indicated their interest. Once the prospectus is released in the next couple of weeks we expect the entries to flow in.”
Oshodi believes with the present form of African Champion, Aruna Quadri, he has the wherewithal to retain the Nigeria Open title.
“Aruna Quadri is getting back into good form after recovering from his hamstring injury which kept him out of the game for a bit.
“From his latest performances he is in good form and with the Nigerian fans right behind him and all the other Nigerian players he is capable of retaining the title.
“Last year was a real dream of a tournament for him. It will be tough though with the quality of players expected but you can never rule him out.
“Aruna is a class act and one of the biggest stars in the world. Playing at home before the ebullient Lagos fans you can fancy him against anybody in the world,” Oshodi enthused.
The ancient town of Otan Ayegbaju will once again take centre stage in Nigerian table tennis when it hosts the 6th Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial Table Tennis Tournament from April 12 to 17, 2026.
The six-day championship, scheduled to take place at the iconic Idera Multipurpose Hall, has grown into one of the most prestigious events on the country’s table tennis calendar.
Established in honour of the late Michael and Felicia Alabi, the annual tournament has evolved beyond its memorial origins to become a major platform for discovering and developing emerging talent while giving established players the opportunity to reaffirm their dominance.
Over the years, the competition has served as an important bridge between grassroots participation and elite performance, attracting players from across the country and helping to strengthen Nigeria’s table tennis pipeline.
The 2026 edition is expected to be the biggest yet, with more than 250 players from all 36 states of the federation set to converge on the Osun State town.
Participants will compete across several categories ranging from U-15 singles to veteran, para and deaf divisions, reflecting the tournament’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity in sports.
Young prospects, experienced professionals, veterans, para-athletes and deaf athletes will compete side by side, creating a diverse and competitive environment that organisers say embodies the values of unity, resilience and excellence.
Beyond the competition itself, the tournament is also expected to attract coaches, scouts, administrators and table tennis enthusiasts from across Nigeria, reinforcing its growing reputation as a talent-development platform.
The influx of athletes and visitors is also anticipated to boost economic activity in the host community, with hotels, transport services and local businesses preparing to welcome guests during the week-long event.
Organisers believe the presence of top-level competition in the town will inspire young people in the community, giving them the opportunity to witness elite table tennis firsthand and potentially sparking interest in the sport among the next generation.
The event is supported by the Osun State Government, the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation and the Osun State Table Tennis Association.
As anticipation builds, fans and stakeholders are preparing for six days of intense competition, tactical brilliance and memorable moments when the 2026 Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial Table Tennis Tournament returns to Otan Ayegbaju next month.
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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has tasked the newly inaugurated board of the Lagos State Sports Trust Fund (LSSTF) to channel resources toward the growth of grassroots and school sports, as well as broader sporting activities across the state.
The governor gave the charge on Wednesday, February 18, during the board’s inauguration at Lagos House, Marina.
The LSSTF board is chaired by former Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development and current President of the International Table Tennis Federation Africa, Enitan Oshodi, while Olaposi Agunbiade will serve as Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer.
Other board members include Olabode Agoro, Adeniyi Adekoya, Gbolahan Onibuje, Jubril Gawat, Kikelomo Bolarinwa, Olayemi Sarumi, Lekan Fatodu, Moshood Ajide and Engr. Ibrahim Adigun, Chairman of the Chairmen of Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas.
Focus on Institutions and Funding
Addressing the board, Sanwo-Olu urged members to leverage their professional expertise and networks to build a strong and enduring sports institution for Lagos.
“The mandate is straightforward — to support funding in sports and establish strong institutions for today and future generations,” the governor said. “I implore you to deploy resources into grassroots and school sports, and to enhance facilities across our divisions. This quasi-body can also reach out to the private sector, drawing on government experience to attract wider support.”
He stressed the importance of institutional strength and sustainable funding models in positioning Lagos as a leading sports hub.
Private Sector Partnership Key
In his remarks, Oshodi underscored the need to create sustainable funding pathways to support sports infrastructure and athlete development across the state.
“The Lagos State Government is spending a lot on sports, but in a megacity of over 20 million people, it is never enough,” he said. “We need facilities to support athletes, and the private sector’s involvement is crucial. With the capacity of this board, we are confident of securing that support.”
Oshodi added that while the board is focused on achieving immediate successes, its broader objective is to lay the foundation for long-term and sustainable sports development in Lagos.
The LSSTF was established to mobilise additional funding and partnerships to complement government investment in sports, with particular emphasis on youth development, infrastructure improvement and talent identification across the state’s divisions.
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Omar Assar reaffirmed his dominance of African table tennis on Monday as he clinched a record seventh men’s singles title at the ITTF Africa Cup in Benghazi, Libya, while teenage star Hana Goda continued her remarkable rise by securing her fourth women’s singles crown.
Assar was imperious throughout the tournament, completing a flawless run without dropping a single set across six matches.
The Egyptian swept most of his opponents 3–0 or 4–0 and sealed the title with a commanding 4–0 victory (12–10, 11–8, 11–7, 11–7) over Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa in the final, successfully defending the crown he reclaimed in 2025. His triumph further cemented his status as the only male player to win the Africa Cup seven times.
Despite the defeat, Bouloussa enjoyed a historic campaign, becoming the first Algerian to reach the Africa Cup final. The 22-year-old produced one of the tournament’s standout performances in the semifinals, edging Nigeria’s five-time champion Quadri Aruna 4–3. Bouloussa is set to make his debut at the ITTF World Cup in Macao next month.
In the women’s singles, Goda—still the youngest-ever Africa Cup champion at just 14—was equally dominant. The Egyptian teenager brushed aside her compatriot and nine-time title holder Dina Meshref 4–0 (12–10, 11–3, 11–7, 11–9) in the final to retain her title and extend her unbeaten run on the continent.
Algeria’s teenage prodigy Tania Morice also emerged as one of the revelations of the competition. Building on her cadet title at the Africa Youth Championships in Lagos last year, Morice finished among the top four in Benghazi to secure her first ITTF World Cup ticket. She defeated experienced opponents, including Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello, Madagascar’s Hanitra Raharimanana and Tunisia’s Abir Haj Salah en route to the semifinals.
Overwhelmed by her breakthrough, Morice described the achievement as “incredible,” adding that the support of her coaches, teammates and parents had been crucial to her rapid rise.
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