After an intense week of rallies, drama, and top-tier finishes at the 2025 WTT Contender Lagos, the President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Wahid Oshodi, offered insight into the continent’s tennis evolution, Nigeria’s transition phase, and what the future holds beyond the just-concluded tournament.
The WTT Contender Lagos, hosted at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall in Surulere, once again attracted elite talents from around the globe, bringing top-30 ranked players to Nigeria and testing the mettle of homegrown stars.
Reflecting on the level of competition, Mr Oshodi praised both the international quality on display and the resilience of local organisers.
“The standard was so high. Thankfully, a lot of the foreign players came to the party. Great, great performances, and our own players coming through,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.
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While acknowledging that Nigerian players still have a gap to bridge, Mr Oshodi pointed to promising signs.
“When you look at the results overall, you think that we’re away—but we’re not very far off. And that’s good for the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation. Young players… very important to bring them up early.”
With five international events hosted back-to-back in Lagos; including the WTT Contender, Africa Cup, and Hopes Week, the president commended the over 200 volunteers and young staffers behind the scenes, noting how they delivered under “very difficult circumstances.”
“Lots of little, little niggles, you know… but again, they’ve come to the party. The guests are happy. And then we start looking at what we need to do next year. Maybe a bigger venue. Maybe outside Lagos. There are a lot of options we have now.”
Despite the spectacle, African players again fell short of reaching the finals; raising a familiar concern. But for Mr Oshodi, the disparity is a reflection of structural inequalities, not a lack of talent.
“It tells you there are better players in Europe. And that’s the truth,” he admitted candidly.
“At the top level, we have Aruna Quadri, Omar Assar, and a couple of others. That’s an amazing feat, considering the kind of investments we’ve put into sports in Africa.”
He gave special credit to Egypt’s sports development system, singling out the likes of Hana Goda and Dina Meshref as examples of world-class athletes groomed through consistent private and structural support.
“Egypt have a fantastic sports structure. You will see that again in the African Youth Championships.”
However, he believes Nigeria is beginning to follow suit, thanks in part to Aruna Quadri’s impact as a role model.
“Aruna has been a big, big signpost for them; what you can achieve if you work hard. And now I think we have 20, 30, 40 young players at world-class levels. And that’s amazing for a country like Nigeria.”
Still, the concern over underinvestment in medal-winning Olympic sports persists.
“The federal government… the new DG and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, they’re starting well. They’ve tried. But we need to see the budget spent. Football is important. But these are the sports that bring the medals home; at the All-Africa Games, Commonwealth Games, Olympics.”
Perhaps the most exciting part of the week, according to Mr Oshodi, wasn’t the WTT Contender but rather the Africa Hopes Week, a development-focused programme for U-12 players across the continent.
“I’m more happy about the Hopes Week than the WTT Contender. A lot of good players. Nigeria came second in that. They have this new youngster… Joshua. He’s something else. Very exciting.”
He praised ITTF Africa’s ongoing reform to ensure funding reaches grassroots talent, revealing that coaches also benefited from hands-on training and exposure.
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“One thing we’ve done in ITTF Africa since I came on board is to look at the funding structure… A lot of money we spend is not actually getting to the grassroots in Africa. And now that’s what we’re changing.”
For Mr Oshodi, the road ahead is clear: consistent investment, stronger national programmes, and sustained youth development.
“The path is there. You do well at national events, then we get you onto the international path. But training and coaches… that’s what the Hopes Week does. And hopefully, they can help these young stars improve.”
