Nigeria begin World Table Tennis Champs quest in London

Nigeria’s men’s and women’s table tennis teams will begin their campaign at the 2026 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships on Tuesday, with challenging preliminary ties against Saudi Arabia and Wales, respectively.

This year’s tournament is particularly historic, as it marks the centenary of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, first held in England in 1926.

In the men’s event, Nigeria has been drawn in Group 15 alongside Hong Kong, China; South Africa; and Saudi Arabia. The women’s team will compete in Group 11, facing Australia, Uzbekistan, and Wales.

The men’s team will be the first in action, taking on Saudi Arabia at 10:00 a.m. on Table 10. Later in the day, the women’s team will face Wales at 5:00 p.m. on Table 14.

Nigeria’s nine-player delegation—comprising five men and four women—is led by experienced player Quadri Aruna. He is joined by fellow veteran Olajide Omotayo and rising talents Matthew Kuti, Taiwo Matti, and Muizz Adegoke.

The women’s team features seasoned players Fatimo Bello and Ajoke Ojomu, alongside emerging talents Sukurat Aiyelabegan and Hope Udoaka.

In both the men’s and women’s categories, Nigeria is ranked as the second-best team in their respective groups, behind Hong Kong, Chin a, and Australia.

The competition will be played in two stages, with all team ties decided using a best-of-five format of individual matches.

Stage 1a will include the top seven seeded teams and the host nation, drawn into Groups 1 and 2. Teams in this stage are guaranteed progression to the knockout rounds, as the phase is designed solely to determine updated seedings.

The remaining 56 teams, including Nigeria, will compete in Stage 1b, drawn into Groups 3 to 16. The 14 group winners will advance directly to the Round of 32, while runners-up will progress either to a preliminary knockout round or directly to the Round of 32, depending on overall rankings.

In other opening fixtures involving African teams, Egypt will face South Africa in the women’s event, while Algeria—led by the Morice sisters, Tania and Jade—will take on Belgium.

Ghana will face Puerto Rico, led by Adriana Díaz, while Madagascar’s men will take on Mongolia. Uganda and Rwanda’s women will face India and Ukraine, respectively. Angola’s women will battle Austria, while Benin Republic’s men will take on Serbia.