Oshodi tips Africa’s young t’tennis stars for stardom
August 6, 2026 12:02 am
President of the International Table Tennis Federation Africa, Wahid Oshodi, believes Africa’s emerging table tennis stars are ready to make their mark on the global stage following their impressive performances at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships and Cup in Accra, Ghana.
Oshodi said the performances of the continent’s young players at the championships demonstrated the progress being made in youth development across Africa.
Speaking after the tournament, Oshodi described the performances as “breathtaking”, adding that several of the players could make the transition to senior competition soon.
“Many of these players are ready to make the leap to senior competition. We’ll take the advice of top coaches and provide the support needed to help them transition,” Oshodi said.
“Expect to see some of them competing at the African Senior Championships later this year.”
Oshodi, who is two years into his tenure as ITTF Africa president, said his administration had focused on improving technical development through increased training and coaching camps, as well as opportunities for young players to compete.
He also highlighted the development of coaches, umpires and competition managers as part of efforts to strengthen the sport’s structures across the continent.
“We’ve worked hard to improve the sport across the continent, especially in the technical development of our young players,” he said.
“By developing coaches and technical officials, we’re strengthening the foundations of the sport across the continent.”
The ITTF Africa president also promised support for African teams that qualified for the World Youth Championships, saying financial constraints should not prevent them from competing.
“Working with the ITTF, we’ll help with travel and training costs. There’s no point qualifying if you can’t attend due to financial inadequacies,” Oshodi said.
He added that the continued improvement of young players across the continent was evidence that Africa’s long-term investment in youth development was beginning to yield results.
Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years
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