President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ITTF Africa), Wahid Enitan Oshodi, has reiterated the federation’s commitment to empowering coaches across the continent to match their international counterparts.
Speaking at the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF)-organised National Hopes Week in Lagos, Oshodi emphasised the critical role of coaching in nurturing young talent and the need for ongoing education and development.
Oshodi referenced recent initiatives, including the Level 2 Coaching Course held in Tunisia, and assured that more training opportunities are on the way.
“First of all, you need a pathway,” Oshodi stated. “Coaches who participated in last year’s ITTF training camp, including the Level 1 course, are already part of this pathway. Now, we want to track their progress by seeing how the players they’ve worked with are developing.”
He stressed the importance of early development, adding, “The best players in the world today are under 21. So we must start nurturing our kids from U-9 and U-10 levels to compete on the global stage.”
NTTF showcasing Nigeria’s rising talents
During the ongoing Hopes Week, 30 to 40 children from across Nigeria are participating, providing a glimpse into the country’s growing talent pool.
“Our coaches are improving,” Oshodi noted. “We’re working on bringing in new training programs so they can pass their knowledge on to the players. We’re happy with the progress so far, and the results are beginning to show.”
Lagos State applauds grassroots effort
Tunji Lawal, Chairman of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association, praised the initiative and the level of competition witnessed during the event.
“These children are the future of Nigerian table tennis. It’s encouraging to see such young players showing promise. Future stars like Aruna Quadri are being discovered here,” Lawal said.
He added that while Lagos may not dominate the finals, the tournament provides a valuable assessment of their progress.
“Success often comes from failure. If Lagos isn’t in the final, it means we have more work to do. We’ll keep pushing to raise our players to the right standard.”
Building foundations for future champions
Through grassroots initiatives like Hopes Week and ongoing coach development, ITTF Africa and the NTTF are laying the groundwork for a new generation of elite African table tennis players—equipped with top-tier training and the support of empowered coaches.
