Teenage duo of Usman Okanlawon and Sadiat Akeem will this week represent Nigeria at the 2019 Africa Hopes Challenge holding in Kinshasa, Congo DRC.
The tournament serves as qualifiers for the World Hopes Challenge holding in Oman come July.
The Oyo State-born athletes qualified for the continental qualifiers after emerging winners at the West Africa Hopes Challenge held earlier this year in Accra, Ghana.
The duo will be tutored by Idiat Aderibigbe as they battle against players from Egypt, Tunisia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and a host of others.
According to ITTF Africa, the goal is to gain a place in the ITTF World Hopes Week and Challenge to be staged in Muscat, Oman from Thursday 25th to Wednesday 31st July for which there are places for two boys and two girls from the African continent.
The tournament in Kinshasa will be coordinated by Ramzi B.H Mabrouk, the Development Manager for the African Table Tennis Federation and he will be assisted by Eva Jeler, the head coach in a week when education will be very much at the forefront of activities.
Full Invitation List
U-12 Girls: Sadiat Akeem (Nigeria), Hirwa Kelia Chantal (Rwanda), Yakin Gateka (Burundi), Ashraf Shahata Hagar.
U-12 Boys: Ishola Okamlawon Usman (Nigeria), Yassine Yasser (Egypt), Elie Malola (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Juma Wabugoya (Uganda).
U-15 Girls: Flavi Amaniyo (Uganda), Maram Zoghlemi (Tunisia), Eunice Ankamah (Ghana), Lyly Dinanga (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Alisa Bhojani (Tanzania), Farah Mahjoub (Tunisia), Sandra Arhin (Ghana), Fransnelle Soukazal (Congo Brazzaville).
U-15 Boys: Tendo Kasoma (Uganda), Marwan Gamal (Egypt), Sawyer Bresford (Sierra Leone), Exauce Ngefussa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Cedric Urikiyeyezu (Rwanda), Khalil Sta (Tunisia), Abu Elisha (Ghana), Dryche Ekoya Kanga (Congo Brazzaville).
