The quest for West African table tennis dominance kicks off Wednesday (today) as top contenders across the sub-region gather at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall within the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, for the 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships.
This prestigious contest serves as a gateway to the 2025 African Championships, slated for later in the year in Kigali, Rwanda. Over the course of four days, Nigeria will lock horns with leading nations in the region across team and individual events, aiming to secure qualification.
While Nigeria has historically ruled the sport within the region, recent tournaments have seen stiff resistance from emerging forces like Togo and Ivory Coast. Anticipation is high following Togo’s shock 3-2 victory over Nigeria’s heavily favored men’s squad during the 2024 championship in Lomé.
Nigeria’s current men’s team features top-ranked players such as Matthew Kuti, Taiwo Mati, Muiz Adegoke, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, and Matthew Fabunmi. Togo, on the other hand, is fielding their seasoned US-based ace Kokou Fanny, flanked by bright prospects Atarou Assou and Kossi Akakpo.
Representing Ivory Coast is Oba Oba Kizito—the first-ever regional gold medalist—who returns from Paris eager to finally claim top honors after narrowly missing out in four previous campaigns.
In the women’s division, Nigeria is tipped to remain in control even with the absence of defending singles titleholder Hope Udoaka. Veteran Ajoke Ojomu is expected to lead the team, which also includes budding stars Aishat Rabiu and Aziza Sezuo, as they aim to defend their crown.
The tournament concludes on Saturday, July 19, with the singles finals, while the team event champions will be decided on Thursday, July 17.
