By Emeka Dennar
Nigeria will, for the first time in recent history, be absent from the African Table Tennis Championships, scheduled to hold later this year in Morocco, following its withdrawal from the qualifying tournament in Guinea.
The country’s absence from the continental championship stems from its failure to participate in the Western Region Championships in Conakry, Guinea, a mandatory qualifying event for the African Championships.
A four-man Nigerian contingent comprising Matthew Kuti, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Favour Ojo and Khadijat Okanlawon had been pencilled down to compete in the regional qualifiers. However, the team was unable to make the trip due to financial constraints confronting the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF).
The federation has been battling rising operational costs, including expenses related to the ongoing training camp for junior players at Babcock University in Ogun State, which made it difficult to fund participation in the Guinea tournament.
Despite the setback, the NTTF sustained its developmental programme by sending four cadet players — Umar Ayoola, Habeeb Adebayo, Emmanuella Shaibu and Elizabeth Emenike — to Accra, Ghana, for the 2026 Africa Hopes Week & Challenge.
The federation is also looking ahead to other continental engagements, with a 16-member team led by Kuti and Ojo expected to depart for Accra this weekend to compete at the 2026 African Youth Championships and Cup (BRF Cup).
Reacting to Nigeria’s withdrawal from the Guinea tournament, NTTF President Adesoji Tayo expressed disappointment over the development, noting that the federation explored every possible option to ensure the team’s participation.
According to him, the high cost of air travel and the inability to secure financial backing from the National Sports Commission (NSC) ultimately scuttled the trip.
“In the last two weeks, our young players have been in camp preparing for the three events in Ghana and Guinea. With support from friends of table tennis and the management of Babcock University, we provided a conducive environment for training and ensured that the cadet players heading to Ghana departed last weekend.
“Unfortunately, our request for NSC’s support for the Guinea trip was unsuccessful, and the prohibitive flight ticket prices forced us to withdraw. This competition also served as qualifiers for the 2026 African Championships in Morocco,” Tayo said.
Nigeria’s absence from the qualifiers means the country will miss the African Table Tennis Championships, ending its participation streak at one of the continent’s most prestigious table tennis events. The federation will now shift its focus to youth competitions as it continues efforts to develop the next generation of players.
