10 countries to participate in the Lagos 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships

The 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships is set to break new ground in Lagos, with more than 10 countries confirmed to compete — the highest number of participants in the tournament’s history. Previous editions had topped out at nine nations.

Scheduled to run from July 16 to 19 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall inside Teslim Balogun Stadium, this year’s event promises fierce competition from across West Africa.

Countries including Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger Republic, and Sierra Leone are all slated to feature. Notably, Guinea, Niger Republic, and Sierra Leone are making a return after years of absence.

Defending champions Nigeria and Togo will be looking to maintain their dominance in the competition. Nigeria, the most successful team in the region, will defend the women’s team title it retained in Lomé last year. Togo, on the other hand, will attempt to hold on to the men’s team crown it claimed with a dramatic 3-2 win over Nigeria in the 2024 final.

The singles categories also promise excitement. Nigeria’s top-ranked player, Matthew Kuti, will aim to defend his men’s singles title after making history last year by defeating Ivory Coast’s Oba Oba Kizito 4-1 in the final. Another title win would see Kuti become the first man to claim consecutive singles titles at the championship.

In the women’s singles, the absence of reigning champion Hope Udoaka of Nigeria opens the field to a new winner.

This year’s event will also serve as a qualification tournament for the 2025 African Championships, scheduled to take place later this year in Rwanda.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Ferdinand Sonou, vice president of ITTF Africa West Region and former head of the Benin Table Tennis Federation, expressed optimism about the upcoming competition.

“Nigeria has consistently delivered well-organised international events, and players look forward to competing here. This marks the start of a series of global table tennis events in Lagos, and I believe we’ll see the rise of new talents alongside the familiar faces,” Sonou said.

He also praised ITTF Africa President Wahid Oshodi for his ongoing support, adding that the growing number of participating nations reflects the increasing popularity and development of table tennis in the region.