African table tennis giants Nigeria and Egypt are set to spearhead the continent’s campaign at the 2026 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, which will unfold in London from April 28 to May 10.
The official draws will take place at The Shard, London’s tallest building, on Monday, January 26, setting the stage for a historic tournament.
In the men’s category, 12 African teams will line up among the 64 nations competing for global supremacy.
The women’s category will see 11 African teams join the 64-nation field, a milestone that coincides with the centenary anniversary of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Of the 64 teams per gender, 52 qualified through continental championships, 11 earned their places via the world rankings of November 2025, while host nation England completes the roll call.
Beyond Nigeria and Egypt, Africa’s representation in the men’s division includes Benin, Tunisia, Algeria, Togo, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Angola.
In the women’s division, the continent will be represented by Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Madagascar, Algeria, Tunisia, Uganda, South Africa, Angola, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo DR.
A century after the inaugural ITTF World Table Tennis Championships were staged in England in 1926, the sport now returns to its birthplace for a landmark centenary celebration.
The 2026 edition promises intensity and spectacle, with 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams competing across 13 days at two iconic London venues.
The format will unfold in three stages as Stage 1B features group stages determining qualification pathways, followed by Stage 1A seeding matches for the top-ranked teams, before Stage 2 delivers knockout rounds showcasing the world’s finest teams in pursuit of global supremacy.
The ITTF World Championships remain the pinnacle of table tennis; a stage where legends are forged, and history is written.
The countdown has begun, the teams are assembling, and the world awaits as London 2026 prepares to host a celebration of sport unlike any other.
