The COO of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Dr. Kweku Tandoh, says African Table Tennis is heading in the right direction, particularly when it comes to youth development.
Speaking to www.aclsports.com in an exclusive interview during the recently concluded Festival of Table Tennis in Lagos, Dr. Tandoh praised the depth of talent on display across the continent and expressed optimism about the progress being made.
“For the past few weeks, we’ve seen the top players in Africa assemble at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, the U15 and U19 categories,” he said. “From what we’ve seen in the tournaments, it’s clear that we have a huge pool of talent across Africa.”
Dr. Tandoh highlighted the emergence of players from countries not traditionally associated with table tennis. “We’re now seeing nations like Uganda, Madagascar, Ethiopia, and even Namibia producing players who look good enough,” he said. “The next step is to ensure we are able to move these talents to elite level, and that’s about coaching, exposure to international tournaments, and so on. For what the ATTF is doing now, I think we are heading in the right direction.”
He mentioned several young players who impressed during the tournament, including Joseph Sebatindira from Uganda, Wassim Essid from Tunisia, Nigeria’s Victor Joseph, Favour Ojo, as well as the young David Ranarison from Madagascar, and many more who stood out during the competition. “They are the hope of African table tennis,” he said. “If well nurtured and well handled, we can begin to compete with the rest of the continent.”
For those who don’t follow the sport, Dr. Tandoh had a clear message: table tennis is vibrant, growing, and deserving of more attention. “It’s an exciting sport. For the past 12 years, we’ve produced tournaments here in Lagos that have made the city a hub of African table tennis. Not just Africa, even the World Table Tennis tournament. We just hosted the third edition, and Lagos has definitely become a hub.”
He called on Nigerians to support the sport, not just for its entertainment value but for its impact on tourism, talent development, and national visibility. “It is bringing a lot of attention, both touristic and sporting, to Nigeria. The earlier we support it, the better for us, and we should also do the same for other lesser-known sports.”
With the Festival of Table Tennis now concluded, Dr. Tandoh remains confident that African table tennis is moving forward, with promising young players emerging across the continent and ongoing efforts by the continental body to support their development.
