Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti carved his name into West African sporting history as the first player from the region to successfully defend the men’s singles title at the 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships, Afrosport reports.
The four-day event concluded in grand style on Saturday at the iconic Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
With Liberia’s withdrawal, seven nations competed in this year’s tournament. Host nation Nigeria stamped its authority across the board, powering past Ghana, Benin Republic, Guinea, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso in the team events to emerge undisputed champions.
In the men’s singles, Kuti once again proved why he is one of Africa’s finest table tennis talents. Despite a strong challenge from a resilient Côte d’Ivoire squad, Nigerian athletes claimed all the medals in the singles events. Kuti defended his crown with a convincing 4–1 (7–11, 11–6, 11–9, 11–7, 11–7) victory over compatriot Abdulbasit Abdulfatai in an all-Nigerian final that thrilled the Lagos crowd.
Meanwhile, it was a double celebration for Team Nigeria as Ajoke Ojomu claimed her first women’s singles crown, capping a dominant display on home soil.
Ojomu delivered a spirited performance to capture her first regional title, putting behind her the heartbreak of a 2024 final loss to fellow Nigerian Hope Udoaka. Battling through a leg injury, she defeated Sukurat Aiyelabegan in straight sets (11–7, 11–8, 11–5, 14–12), drawing strength from the vibrant home support that filled the stands.
Earlier in the week, Nigeria’s men’s team reclaimed their title with a commanding 3–0 victory over Côte d’Ivoire in the final on Thursday. After falling short in 2024 to a surprise Togo side, Nigeria’s men returned with renewed fire. Competing in front of a passionate Lagos crowd, the trio of Kuti, Taiwo Mati, and Abdulfatai dropped just one set in the group stage—ironically against Côte d’Ivoire—before powering through the knockouts to take the gold with authority.
The women’s team, led by Ojomu, were equally dominant, going unbeaten in the round-robin phase and defeating Benin Republic, Ghana, and Guinea to retain their crown.
The championships also served as a qualifier for the 2025 African Championships, which will be held from 12 to 19 October in Kigali, Rwanda.
Vice President of ITTF Africa West Region, Ferdinand Sounou, praised Lagos for hosting what he described as the best regional tournament of the year. He commended the city’s organizational excellence and the rising level of competition across the region.
“This year’s tournament in Lagos was a resounding success,” Sounou said. “The quality of organization and the elevated standard of play were impressive. Compared to previous editions, which were often dominated by a few countries, this year showed a remarkable improvement across the board.”
He added, “Nigerian players are no longer the untouchables they once were. The gap is closing, and the competition is intensifying. Still, Nigeria remains the top team in West Africa.”
