Adesoji says Nigeria table tennis is on the right track

Tayo Adesoji, the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, believes the nation's development programmes are moving in the correct direction. This assessment follows the performance of Nigerian athletes at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships held in Accra, Ghana, from July 20 to 27.

The Nigeria U-19 boys secured the continental team title by defeating Egypt. This victory prevented the Egyptian side from achieving a clean sweep of all four team events during the tournament. The result is seen as a significant achievement given Egypt's historical dominance in African table tennis.

Adesoji stated that the current progress of the sport in Nigeria is positive. He noted that retaining the championship title serves as evidence that the federation's focus on grassroots initiatives is yielding practical outcomes. The federation has recently prioritised identifying young talent early and offering them structured opportunities and international exposure.

By winning the U-19 boys' crown, Nigeria has shown that its next generation can compete with the continent's established powers. The tournament highlighted the growing talent across Africa, with Egypt winning several other team events while Nigeria's victory broke their total dominance.

Adesoji maintains that consistent investment in young players is necessary to compete with Egypt at the highest levels. He believes that maintaining grassroots support and international competition will help Nigeria close the gap and become a regular force in African table tennis.