Nigeria Reclaims Title At ITTF Africa West Regional Championships

Nigeria’s men’s table tennis team Thursday at the Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, venue of the ongoing ITTF Africa West Regional Championships recorded a massive victory over sub- regional table tennis powerhouse Cote d’ Ivoire to reclaim their title which they narrowly lost to Togo in 2024.

Prior to the victory, the Nigerian women’s team, led by Ajoke Ojomu, continued their regional dominance with a good run, defeating Benin Republic, Ghana, and Guinea on their way to retaining their title. The four-day event also served as a qualifier for the 2025 African Championships, scheduled to take place later this year in Kigali, Rwanda.

After narrowly losing the title to Togo in 2024, the Nigerian men returned with renewed determination. Playing on home soil in Lagos, they powered through the group stage, dropping only a single set, ironically to Côte d’Ivoire. From the quarter-finals onward, the trio of Matthew Kuti, Taiwo Mati, and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai delivered a series of dominant performances, culminating in a 3-0 defeat of the Ivorians in the final.

The singles competition continues on Friday, July 18, with intense battles expected. Defending men’s singles champion Oba Oba Kizito of Côte d’Ivoire faces stiff competition from Nigeria’s Taiwo Mati and Matthew Kuti, both former champions. Players from Togo and the Benin Republic are also in strong contention for podium finishes.

Guinea’s Maret Camara made a strong impression by topping Group 9 with a 3-0 win over Ghana’s James Marfo. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Matthew Fabunmi suffered the country’s only singles defeat so far, narrowly losing 3-2 to Benin Republic’s Atanda Adou in Group 11.

In the women’s singles, Nigeria’s representatives,Ajoke Ojomu, Kabirat Ayoola, Aishat Rabiu, Favour Ojo, Maryam Ahmed, and Sukurat Aiyelabegan all topped their respective groups to advance to the knockout stage.

The tournament concludes on Saturday, July 19, with champions to be crowned in both the men’s and women’s singles events. Ten countries, including host nation Nigeria, are competing in this four-event regional championship. The top three teams in each category will qualify for the continental finals in Rwanda in October this year.