The year 2024 comes with mixed feelings for Nigerian table tennis on and off the table, highs and lows were recorded, it’s safe to say the year is marked by increased participation, and a renewed focus on developing the sport.
ITTF African Championships
Despite missing out on the Men and Women singles titles at the 2024 ITTF African Championships in Ethiopia, the doubles event was dominated by Nigeria and Egypt with Muiz Adegoke and Abdulbasat Abdulfatai defeating their Nigerian compatriots, Olajide Omotayo and Matthew Kuti, 3-1 to claim the gold medal.
Nigeria claimed the Men’s team title after beating Algeria 3-1, while Egypt retained their Women’s team title after beating Nigeria 3-0 in the final.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games
It was an event to forget for Team Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics as the Nigerian duo of Quadri Aruna and Olajide Omotayo crashed out after their first game. The duo were defeated by their respective opponents in the round of 64 of the men’s singles event.
Omotayo lost 4-1 to Noshad Alamiyan of Iran, while Aruna who was competing in his fourth Olympic games was beaten by Romania’s Eduard Ionescu.
The Women’s team did nothing different as they returned to Nigeria empty handed as well, although same was the case for all other Nigerian athletes at the event.
Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Succor finally came Team Nigeria’s way when Isau Ogunkunle made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympics by winning Nigeria’s first-ever individual Para Table Tennis medal, a bronze, in the Men’s Singles Class 4 event.
Ogunkunle’s journey to the podium was nothing short of remarkable. Despite facing stiff competition from top-ranked players, he demonstrated exceptional skill, determination, and resilience throughout the tournament.
In the Round of 16, he delivered a stunning upset by defeating reigning Paralympic champion Abdullah Ozturk of Turkey, 3-1 (6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10).
He followed it with an impressive 3-1 victory (9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6) over France’s Maxime Thomas, a Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist, in the quarterfinals, securing his place in the final four and guaranteeing Nigeria a historic singles medal.
Although he lost his semi-final tie with world number two Young-Gun Kim of South Korea 3-1 but picked up the bronze medal for reaching the semi-final.
Aruna Quadri at WTT Frankfurt
The Nigerian poster boy delivered a remarkable performance at the WTT Championship Frankfurt 2024, reaching the round of 16 in style.
Aruna secured a big comeback victory over Japan’s world No. 8 Tomokazu Harimoto in a five-game showdown (7-11, 11-13, 11-5, 14-12, 11-3) to reach the round-of-16, although he narrowly lost 3-2 to homeboy Ricardo Walther, but he sustained the tempo of putting Nigeria on the World map.
WTT Lagos
The Nigerian duo Olajide Omotayo and Azeez Solanke clinched a historic silver medal in the Men’s Doubles event at the WTT Contender Lagos.
The silver medal marked the first time in the WTT Series that a Nigerian and African pair reached a WTT Contender final.
They lost to the Indian duo of Harmeet Desai and Manav Vikash Thakkar in the final at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Beyond the victory which is undoubtedly a big deal, it is more fulfilling that Nigeria once again successfully hosted the world series.
The event featured top players from around the world, including India’s Manika Batra, who made history at the Saudi Smash 2024, and Nigeria’s Muizz Adegoke and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, who made their main draw debuts.
The tournament was a huge success, with players praising the organization and the enthusiastic support of the Lagos fans.
The event saw exciting matches, with players like Dimitrij Ovtcharov, who won the Men’s Singles title, and Sreeja Akula, who became the first female Indian to win a WTT Contender title. The tournament also featured players from 15 countries across four continents, competing for $80,000 in prize money and ranking points.
Edem Offiong bows out
Nigerian women’s table tennis icon, Offiong Edem, called time on her international career after 20 years of representing the country and bagging honours at several major tournaments.
The 37-year-old announced the decision in a statement on her social media handles, hinting at plans to explore new horizons and nurture young table tennis talents, and inspire the next generation to surpass her achievements. Offiong participated at five editions of the Olympic Games.
Enitan Oshodi became ATTF President
To wrap up a topsy-turvy year, the emergence of former President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Enitan Oshodi as the President of African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) was arguably the biggest news in the country’s table tennis space.
He was unanimously elected as the 6th President of ATTF during the Elective Annual General Meeting held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on October 15, 2024.
Oshodi, who is the Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), succeeds Egypt’s Khaled El-Salhy, who completed three terms as ATTF President from 2010 to 2024.
He is the second Nigerian to lead the continental body, following Segun George, who served from 1988 to 1996.
It is a remarkable achievement for Oshodi, who has been instrumental in promoting table tennis in Nigeria and Africa. His leadership and vision are expected to take the sport to new heights on the continent.
2024 had its low moments, but the successes achieved should spur every stakeholder to contribute their quota for a better 2025.
