Nigeria will from September 11 to 18 battle with Egypt, Zambia, Benin Republic, Morocco, Libya, South Africa, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire and hosts, Tunisia, at the 2023 African Table Tennis Championships, which will also serve as qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
According to the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), billed to play in the women’s event are Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Algeria, Mauritius, and Benin Republic.
In the last two Olympic Games in Brazil and Japan, Nigeria and Egypt picked the continent’s tickets in the men’s event, but Egypt has been dominating the women’s event as the only African nation in the team event of the Olympic Games in the last three editions in London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
The battle for the continent’s sole slot in the mixed doubles event will feature Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa, with the winner to represent Africa in France.
According to ATTF President, Khaled El-Salhy, this year’s African Championships will also be used as qualification for the 2024 World Championships in Busan, Korea.
The winners in the men and women’s team events will automatically secure their places at the Olympic Games in France, while the winner in the mixed doubles event will be Paris-bound in 2024.
El-Salhy said that the final continental qualifying tournament for Paris 2024 Olympic Games will hold at the 2024 ITTF-Africa Cup in May, while the host city will be decided at the ATTF AGM in Tunis.
