ITTF Africa President Enitan Oshodi sets out plans to transform table tennis in Africa
ITTF Africa President Enitan Oshodi (Photo by ITTF Africa)
LAGOS, February 13, 2025 - One of the top priorities for the newly-elected board of the African Table Tennis Federation (ITTF Africa), led by President Wahid Enitan Oshodi, is to enhance the attractiveness of its competitions, which will in turn boost fan engagement and open up more sponsorship opportunities.
SIGNIFICANT MOMENT Speaking ahead of the ITTF Africa Cup in Tunis, Tunisia, which will take place from February 25 to 27 and will be the first official tournament to be overseen by the new board, Oshodi said: “While many of our Executive Council members have been involved in this competition in previous years, this new chapter presents an opportunity for us to innovate and introduce enhancements that will make the event even more exciting and attractive for all stakeholders.
“We have been in close discussions with our top officials, ITTF representatives, and, most importantly, our leading players. These conversations have allowed us to evaluate various aspects of the event and explore ideas for improvements that will quickly become evident.
“This event marks a significant moment—not just for me personally, but for ITTF Africa as we begin implementing our vision for the sport on the continent. Tunisia has a strong history of successfully hosting top-level table tennis events, and I have full confidence that this year’s edition will meet global standards in logistics, hospitality, and competition management.”
CRUCIAL STEP In October 2024 at the ATTF annual general meeting held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Oshodi became the second Nigerian to be elected as the ATTF President, succeeding Egypt’s Khaled El-Salhy. Just a few days after resuming office the new Executive Council began its four-year tenure by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ethiopian Airlines - a testament to its big plans for table tennis in Africa.
THREE CORE PILLARS Oshodi highlighted “development, competition, and global visibility” as the three core pillars of the ITTF in 2025.
“For grassroots development, we will expand youth training programmes and provide more opportunities for young players to develop their skills.
“We will strengthen our events by making events more attractive, financially sustainable, and globally competitive.
“We intend to raise Africa’s global profile by ensuring that African players and competitions gain greater international recognition while fostering partnerships that bring investment and growth to table tennis in Africa.”
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna (Photo by ITTF Africa)
TRANSFORMING THE AFRICA CUP Inspired by exciting developments in World Table Tennis events, several innovations will be introduced to the Africa Cup in Tunis, according to Oshodi, to elevate the professional standard of the continental tournament, which boasts a $25,000 prize pool. The defending champions in the Men’s and Women’s Singles are Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Dina Meshref.
“One major focus is on improving officiating quality,” Oshodi explained. “For the first time, we will have a world-class Gold Badge umpire mentoring our young international umpires. This initiative will help raise officiating standards across Africa. Additionally, we will be hosting a Level 3 Coaching Course, the highest certification level for our coaches, before the tournament. This is a critical step in equipping our coaches with advanced knowledge, which in turn will improve the development of players across the continent.
“Beyond competition, we hope to transform the Africa Cup into an entertainment spectacle in years to come. The goal is to make the event more engaging, not just for table tennis enthusiasts but for entire families. We are enhancing media coverage, digital engagement, and fan interaction to bring African table tennis closer to a global audience. We are also exploring improved broadcasting solutions to make the tournament more accessible and enjoyable for viewers worldwide.
“On the financial side, we are working on securing sponsorship deals that will increase prize money and provide long-term financial support to teams, ensuring sustainability and greater participation.”
INCREASING PARTICIPATION Securing the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines as the official travel partner of the ATTF is one crucial step that has been taken to increase participation in the Africa Cup, which is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the continent and serves as a qualifier for the ITTF World Cup. Oshodi stated that “a major obstacle for many teams has been the high cost of travel and hospitality”, hence the MoU with Ethiopian Airlines will help tackle the challenge.
“We expect to see the first great impact of this partnership at the Africa Youth Championships in Lagos this July, and we are confident it will encourage more teams to participate in the Africa Cup as well,” he added.
MODERNISING THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP African table tennis clubs will also benefit from the Oshodi-led board’s radical reforms.
“The African Club Championship has seen a decline in participation in recent years. However, we have actively engaged with member associations, and I am pleased to see a rise in team entries from across different regions this year,” Oshodi said.
“After this edition, we will conduct a comprehensive review to determine the best direction for the championship. We will analyze the successful club models in Europe and see what strategies we can adopt. Currently, Africa is the only continent still hosting this event in its traditional format, and we will explore ways to modernize and enhance it.
“Our key priorities include increasing visibility and incentives for clubs, introducing a ranking system to add prestige and encourage long-term participation, and expanding marketing and media coverage to make the event more appealing to fans and potential sponsors.”
SIGNIFICANT MOMENT Speaking ahead of the ITTF Africa Cup in Tunis, Tunisia, which will take place from February 25 to 27 and will be the first official tournament to be overseen by the new board, Oshodi said: “While many of our Executive Council members have been involved in this competition in previous years, this new chapter presents an opportunity for us to innovate and introduce enhancements that will make the event even more exciting and attractive for all stakeholders.
“We have been in close discussions with our top officials, ITTF representatives, and, most importantly, our leading players. These conversations have allowed us to evaluate various aspects of the event and explore ideas for improvements that will quickly become evident.
“This event marks a significant moment—not just for me personally, but for ITTF Africa as we begin implementing our vision for the sport on the continent. Tunisia has a strong history of successfully hosting top-level table tennis events, and I have full confidence that this year’s edition will meet global standards in logistics, hospitality, and competition management.”
CRUCIAL STEP In October 2024 at the ATTF annual general meeting held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Oshodi became the second Nigerian to be elected as the ATTF President, succeeding Egypt’s Khaled El-Salhy. Just a few days after resuming office the new Executive Council began its four-year tenure by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ethiopian Airlines - a testament to its big plans for table tennis in Africa.
THREE CORE PILLARS Oshodi highlighted “development, competition, and global visibility” as the three core pillars of the ITTF in 2025.
“For grassroots development, we will expand youth training programmes and provide more opportunities for young players to develop their skills.
“We will strengthen our events by making events more attractive, financially sustainable, and globally competitive.
“We intend to raise Africa’s global profile by ensuring that African players and competitions gain greater international recognition while fostering partnerships that bring investment and growth to table tennis in Africa.”
TRANSFORMING THE AFRICA CUP Inspired by exciting developments in World Table Tennis events, several innovations will be introduced to the Africa Cup in Tunis, according to Oshodi, to elevate the professional standard of the continental tournament, which boasts a $25,000 prize pool. The defending champions in the Men’s and Women’s Singles are Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Dina Meshref.
“One major focus is on improving officiating quality,” Oshodi explained. “For the first time, we will have a world-class Gold Badge umpire mentoring our young international umpires. This initiative will help raise officiating standards across Africa. Additionally, we will be hosting a Level 3 Coaching Course, the highest certification level for our coaches, before the tournament. This is a critical step in equipping our coaches with advanced knowledge, which in turn will improve the development of players across the continent.
“Beyond competition, we hope to transform the Africa Cup into an entertainment spectacle in years to come. The goal is to make the event more engaging, not just for table tennis enthusiasts but for entire families. We are enhancing media coverage, digital engagement, and fan interaction to bring African table tennis closer to a global audience. We are also exploring improved broadcasting solutions to make the tournament more accessible and enjoyable for viewers worldwide.
“On the financial side, we are working on securing sponsorship deals that will increase prize money and provide long-term financial support to teams, ensuring sustainability and greater participation.”
INCREASING PARTICIPATION Securing the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines as the official travel partner of the ATTF is one crucial step that has been taken to increase participation in the Africa Cup, which is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the continent and serves as a qualifier for the ITTF World Cup. Oshodi stated that “a major obstacle for many teams has been the high cost of travel and hospitality”, hence the MoU with Ethiopian Airlines will help tackle the challenge.
“We expect to see the first great impact of this partnership at the Africa Youth Championships in Lagos this July, and we are confident it will encourage more teams to participate in the Africa Cup as well,” he added.
MODERNISING THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP African table tennis clubs will also benefit from the Oshodi-led board’s radical reforms.
“The African Club Championship has seen a decline in participation in recent years. However, we have actively engaged with member associations, and I am pleased to see a rise in team entries from across different regions this year,” Oshodi said.
“After this edition, we will conduct a comprehensive review to determine the best direction for the championship. We will analyze the successful club models in Europe and see what strategies we can adopt. Currently, Africa is the only continent still hosting this event in its traditional format, and we will explore ways to modernize and enhance it.
“Our key priorities include increasing visibility and incentives for clubs, introducing a ranking system to add prestige and encourage long-term participation, and expanding marketing and media coverage to make the event more appealing to fans and potential sponsors.”
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