By Hosea Parah
The Moroccan port city of Tangier is hosting some of Africa’s finest table tennis players as the 2026 ITTF Africa Championships got underway on Sunday, October 18, with the competition running until October 25.
Hosted by the Royal Moroccan Table Tennis Federation (RMTTF) and organised by the International Table Tennis Federation’s African arm, ITTF Africa, the week-long championship is one of the continent’s premier table tennis competitions.
Beyond determining Africa’s continental champions, the tournament will serve as a qualifying competition for the 2027 ITTF World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, giving participating players and teams an opportunity to secure places at the global showpiece.
The competition will feature men’s and women’s team events, alongside singles, doubles and mixed doubles contests, with medals and continental supremacy at stake across the various categories.
With preparations completed and participating teams arriving in Tangier, attention will initially focus on the team events, where defending champions Egypt will be looking to maintain their dominance of African table tennis.
However, Nigeria’s absence from the championship could alter the dynamics of the competition. The Nigerian contingent missed out after the country failed to participate in the Western Region tournament held in Conakry, Guinea, earlier this year.
Despite Nigeria’s absence, Egypt cannot afford to be complacent, with Algeria, Tunisia, hosts Morocco and Madagascar among the teams expected to challenge for honours.
The host nation will also be eager to take advantage of home support to make a strong impression against the continent’s established table tennis powers.
President of ITTF Africa, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, has expressed satisfaction with Morocco’s preparations, describing the arrangements in Tangier as encouraging ahead of the continental showpiece.
Oshodi praised the organisers for their attention to detail and the logistical support provided for participating teams, expressing confidence that the championship would meet the expectations of players and officials.
“So far, so good. Everything is looking good for us to have a good tournament, as every detail has been followed to the letter by the host, while the logistics put in place for teams have been encouraging,” Oshodi said.
The ITTF Africa president emphasised that the welfare of athletes remained a priority for the continental governing body, noting that providing the right environment was essential to helping players deliver their best performances.
“What matters to us as a continental federation is the wellbeing of the players. We need to put in a good environment for them to perform to their best, and I think that has been achieved. We cannot wait to see the tournament birthing another set of superstars,” he added.
Oshodi also highlighted the growing quality of young African table tennis players, expressing optimism that the championship would provide another platform for emerging talents to announce themselves on the continental stage.
According to him, the presence of promising youngsters makes this year’s competition particularly exciting, especially following their impressive displays at the African Youth Championships in Accra, Ghana.
Their participation is expected to add another dimension to the tournament, as established stars seek to defend their positions while emerging players aim to challenge the continent’s leading names.
With the stage set in Tangier, the 2026 ITTF Africa Championships promise a week of intense competition as Africa’s leading table tennis nations battle for continental glory and qualification opportunities for the 2027 World Championships.