By Kayode John
Quadri Aruna, Olajide Omotayo, Fatima Bello and Ajoke Ojomu have been listed in a 10-member squad by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) for the 2024 ITTF African Championships.
The competition is scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from October 12 to October 19.
Joining the seasoned players are promising young talents such as Matthew Kuti, Muiz Adegoke, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Aishat Rabiu, Hope Udoaka, and Aziza Sezuo.
Aruna, Omotayo and Bello all represented Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France but none of them made it beyond the first round of the singles categories.
Matthew Kuti, who made his senior debut at the 2023 African Games in Ghana and competed in the 2023 African Championships in Tunis, is the West Africa champion and he will be making his second appearance at the continental event.
In contrast, Adegoke and Abdulfatai will debut at the African Championships after leading the men’s team to victory at the 2024 West Africa Regional Championships in Lome, Togo.
Udoaka, West Africa women’s champion, Rabiu and Sezuo, products of NTTF’s grassroots efforts, will also make their first appearance at the African Championships.
