Lagos hosts World Cup as WTT contender serves

For five days, Nigeria’s commercial nerve center, Lagos, will be on the world map when the WTT Contender Lagos plays at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The tournament that has continued to attract quality players from around the world is the first WTT Series in Sub-Saharan Africa and one of the most exciting Contender events on the WTT calendar will witness the convergence of players from India, South Korea, Germany, China, Cameroon, Egypt, Benin Republic, Ghana, Algeria, Denmark and many others.

According to the event director, Kweku Tandoh, what started in 2013 has metamorphosed into a global tournament that has continued to put Lagos on the world table tennis map.

“This is the second WTT Contender Lagos Series, but to get here, we started in 2013 as the Lagos International Table Tennis Classics which ran for about two years, and after the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF ) recognized and approved the event, it became ITTF Nigerian Open which lasted another 5 or 6 years.

The only year we did not hold the event was during the Covid-19 era and by the grace of God, we reached the level of WTT Contender, which is the series of events organized by the ITTF. Another thing we need to be aware of is that this tournament will be held weeks before the Olympic Games.

So, it serves as good preparation for a lot of the players coming up. Many international players have included the tournament as part of their training program. We are looking forward to an exciting Table Tennis tournament and want to invite everyone to be a part of it.

In his remarks, LOC President and ITTF Vice President Wahid Enitan Oshodi said the uniqueness of the tournament distinguished it from others around the world.

“This is Lagos and as I always tell you, it is different not because we have the biggest venue in the world but because we have the best fans in the world. I would like to thank the fans and thank you very much to the media because they tell the world what we are doing.

They’ve supported us all year long, especially the last 12 or 13 years that we’ve been doing this. As Vice President of the ITTF, I have stood on their shoulders over the years and I must thank them very much.

For Bryce Goh, WTT director of events and experiences, the tournament would allow young players to rub shoulders with the best in the world.

“I am looking forward to a great tournament and I am extremely grateful, not only to the organizing committee but to everyone who contributed to this great tournament because the event would not be a success without everyone.

This tournament also serves as an opportunity for young Nigerian players to perform on the world stage and step up to the next level. “I am happy to see many Nigerian players participating in the competition.”

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