Sports
32 Tennis Players For Africa Top 16
The Africa Table Tennis
Federation (ATTF) has said that 32 players with the highest points would participate at the ITTF/Africa Top 16.
The competition is scheduled to hold at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos from June 27 to 28.
President of ATTF, Khaled El-Salhy, said at a press conference in Lagos that the players were made up of 16 male and 16 female.
“The players were carefully selected in May according to the points they had in the ATTF.
‘’Selections are usually made a month before the commencement of the competition,’’ El-Salhy said.
He said that two male and two female players each would represent each country at the tournament.
El-Salhy gave an assurance that players from the same country would not be drawn together in the same group.
Winners in the competition would represent Africa at the World Cup slated for October.
Also at the event, Steve Dainton, International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Marketing Director, said the body had been working hard to accommodate continental competitions as proposed by Africa.
He said that it would be a welcome development for Nigeria to host a table tennis World Cup.
“With what I am seeing on ground, Nigeria has what it takes to host a World Cup.
“The federation should look into hosting a World Cup soon,’’ he said.
Dainton said that all the continents in the world were hosting cups to select the winners to the World Cup.
“Table tennis World Cup participants are selected just as it is done in football, only that we started ours not quite long,’’ he said.
1,500 dollars is for winners in both categories, 700 dollars for runners up and 500 dollars for semi finalists.
Nigeria would be represented by Quadri Aruna and Segun Toriola in the male event, while Offiong Edem and Funke Oshonaike would be in the female category.
Traditional boxers (Dambe) in action at a national meet
In a statement released by the league, the competition is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, with six clubs set to battle for the league title at the end of the 2025/26 season.
NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, said the choice of Port Harcourt reflects the Rivers State Government’s continued support for women’s football and its successful hosting of the league’s Annual General Assembly last year.
The Super Six tournament will feature the top three teams from Group A and Group B of the regular season competing in a round-robin format, with each club playing five matches over nine days.
Qualified teams for the competition include defending champions Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Rivers Angels, Robo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, and debutants Abia Angels.
The NWFL Premiership has produced four different winners in the last five editions, with Rivers Angels winning in 2021, Bayelsa Queens claiming the title in 2022 and 2025, Delta Queens triumphing in 2023, and Edo Queens emerging champions in 2024.
The league also urged participating clubs to comply with all competition regulations and directives ahead of the championship. The Super Six will determine Nigeria’s representative for the WAFU-B qualifiers for a place at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League and ultimately the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Teams are expected to arrive on Friday, June 5, when the draw ceremony and pre-match meeting will also take place. Matchdays are scheduled for June 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, with rest days in between before the tournament concludes with the trophy presentation ceremony.
