(ATTF Media) – Nigeria’s Wahid Enitan Oshodi has been unanimously elected as the 6th President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) during the Elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Oshodi becomes the second Nigerian to lead the continental body, following Engr. Segun George, who served from 1988 to 1996.

Oshodi, currently the Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), will succeed Egypt‘s Khaled El-Salhy, who completed three terms (2010-2024) as ATTF President.

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The 40-member electorate’s unanimous support for Oshodi reflects overwhelming delegate confidence in his leadership for the next four years. With this election, Oshodi stands as the only Nigerian heading a continental sports organisation.

Cameroon‘s Alfred Bagueka was also unanimously elected as the Deputy President of the ATTF. Additionally, Germain Karou and Andrew Mudibo were elected as Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs) for Technical and Development, respectively.

The positions for EVP Administration, Finance, Media/PR, and Marketing saw keen competition among candidates from Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, Mauritania, and Uganda. For EVP Marketing, Ghana‘s Mawuko Afadzinu triumphed over Uganda’s Robert Jjagwe with 22 votes to 18.

Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Bizane won EVP Media/PR with 29 votes. South Africa’s Hajera Kajee secured EVP Finance with 20 votes, and Egypt’s Moataz Ashour won EVP Administration with 32 votes.

The Regional Vice Presidents elected include Benin Republic’s Ferdinand Sounou (West), Congo’s Christian Wonga (Central), Libya’s Gallel Amadeddin (North), South Africa’s Joe Carrim (South), and Djibouti‘s Mohmoud Omir (East).

From the 15 candidates that contested for the ITTF Council, outgoing ATTF President Khaled El-Salhy joined seven others to secure continental tickets to the world body.

Joining El-Salhy in the eight-member council are Nigeria’s Olabanji Oladapo, Botswana’s Kudzanani Motswagole, Benin Republic’s Ferdinand Sounou, Cameroon’s Alfred Bagueka, South Africa’s Joe Carrim, Tunisia‘s Jalem Zayati, and Uganda’s Thomas Kiggundu.

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In the 2023 edition held in Agadir, Morocco, the Nigerian contingent competed with support from Friends of Table Tennis, who funded their trip. However, despite qualifying for the 2023 ITTF World Youth Championships, the team could not attend after the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) failed to secure necessary support from the Federal Ministry of Sports Development.

Botswana is hosting the continent’s top young players for the first time in African table tennis history. The championships, which began on Monday, July 15, are taking place at Botho University Hall in Gaborone.

We're well at home at the Botho University in Gaborone. #ITTFAYC24 pic.twitter.com/EIRJuynoXN

— ITTF-Africa (@ITTFAfrica) July 16, 2024

Motswagole Kudzanani, President of the Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA), emphasized that hosting the tournament would lead to overall improvement for table tennis in the region. He said, “Hosting provides a platform to build our capacity and expose our athletes to international standards. It also increases our brand visibility, showcases our capabilities, and helps us identify areas for growth.”

This year’s championships feature a greater number of participating nations compared to the 2023 edition. Participating countries include Botswana, Congo DRC, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Benin Republic, Guinea, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Additionally, the seven-day continental championships serve as African qualifiers for the 2024 ITTF World Youth Championships scheduled for November in Helsingborg, Sweden.

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Aruna, who made history as the first African to reach the quarterfinals of the table tennis event at the Olympic Games, currently holds the 19th world ranking, while Assar, who is the second African to reach the quarterfinals, is rated 22nd in the world.

The official seedings for the Games will be based on the 16th July ITTF World Rankings, revealing potential matchups that promise excitement for fans. The two African stars will be among the top seeds and are expected to kick off their campaign from the second round (round of 64) of the tournament on 28th July at the South Paris Arena.

All eyes will be on Aruna and Assar, with the Nigerian making his fourth Olympic Games appearance as he contends for a podium finish in Paris. Egypt’s Assar, who matched Aruna’s quarterfinal record at Tokyo 2020, is another player to watch out for in Paris. Assar joins Mohamed El-Beiali as Egypt’s representatives in the Men’s Singles. Meanwhile, Dina Meshref and Hana Goda will compete in the Women’s Singles event.

For the team event, the African champions have selected Youssef Abdel-Aziz to join Assar and El-Beiali in the men’s squad. Mariam Alhodaby will team up with Meshref and Goda for the women’s team event in Paris. Meshref and Assar will also compete in the Mixed Doubles event, which makes its second appearance in Paris after debuting at Tokyo 2020.

Joining Aruna in the Men’s Singles event is his compatriot, Olajide Omotayo. Other African players include Mehdi Bouloussa of Algeria and Ibrahima Diaw of Senegal. Madagascar‘s Fabio Rakotoarimanana will make history as the first player from the island nation to compete in the table tennis event at the Olympic Games. Saheed Idowu of Congo Brazzaville secured a Tripartite Invitation to participate in Paris.

In the Women’s Singles, Nigeria’s duo of Offiong Edem and Fatimo Bello, along with Cameroon‘s Sarah Hanffou and Algeria’s Lynda Loghraibi, complete the continent’s contingent in Paris.

The 10th Olympic appearance of table tennis promises an exciting blend of experience and youthful exuberance. The recent heroics of the French team, including the men’s team’s silver medal and the women’s team’s bronze at the ITTF World Championships Finals Busan 2024, have ignited anticipation in Paris.

The rise of young stars like the Lebrun brothers (Félix and Alexis) and Prithika Pavade has captivated the Parisian imagination. Fans eagerly await their hometown heroes’ pursuit of Olympic glory on home soil.

Beyond French flair, legendary player Ma Long of China bids farewell to the Olympics after Paris, and India makes its debut in the team events. A new Men’s Singles champion will emerge, while the Women’s Singles features a potential clash of titans as China’s Chen Meng defends her crown against top seed and compatriot Sun Yingsha.

Lastly, all eyes turn to Timo Boll, the iconic German player concluding his glittering 20-year career in the sport.

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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, prompting 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 11 June 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 scored a career-high ranking, starting 2018 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 his recent form, as the 33-year-old has reached 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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The 41-year-old is the first Indian table tennis player ever to become a 10-time Indian national champion, breaking the record of eight-time national champion Kamlesh Mehta.

Considered one of the most flamboyant Indian athletes, Achanta is eagerly looking forward to the tournament as part of his preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The highest-ranked Indian male player in the world, rated 40th, was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2019. In 2022, he was awarded the Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour. He will be joined on the Lagos trip by 2023 WTT Contender Lagos semifinalist Harmeet Desai, as well as Manav Thakkar and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the men’s singles.

The women’s squad will be spearheaded by Manika Batra, the top female table tennis player in India, ranked 24th in the world. Batra will also have her compatriot, Sreeja Akula, as an integral member of the Indian team that qualified for the Olympic Games at the 2024 World Team Championships in Busan, South Korea.

Akula, who is a familiar face in Lagos, will be accompanied by compatriots Yashaswini Ghorpade, Archana Kamath, and Sutirtha Mukherjee, all heading to the commercial nerve centre for a podium finish.

It is all about title defence for South Korean Shin Yubin, who topped the podium in 2023. Yubin spearheads the lineup in this year’s edition.

Lagos was one of two WTT Series wins for the World No. 7 in 2023, and with her 2024 account currently empty, a repeat of history in Nigeria is what the Korean is yearning for.

However, India’s Batra could pose the biggest threat to Yubin’s title defence in Lagos. Like Batra, Akula is in red-hot form, having already claimed two WTT Feeder Series events this year.

The chance to make a rapid ascent and claim a WTT Series title will not be squandered by the World No. 41 as she looks to continue her rise in the global rankings.

Lagos offers a rich cultural scene, with opportunities to explore the National Museum, visit the iconic Eko Atlantic City, and enjoy the lively nightlife of Victoria Island. For outdoor enthusiasts, the nearby beaches of Tarkwa Bay and Lekki Conservation Centre provide a relaxing escape from the city’s bustle. Indulge in the local cuisine, a flavourful fusion of African and international influences, and soak up the rhythm and energy of the Lagos community.

WTT Contender Lagos 2024 offers a total prize pool of $80,000 as well as 400 ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking Points for the champions.

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