Shocker: Nigeria Table Tennis Contingent To Romania Denied Visa, Replaced By Egypt And Tunisia

Shocker: Nigeria Table Tennis Contingent To Romania Denied Visa, Replaced By Egypt And Tunisia

By Sampson Adedeji

Nigeria’s participation at the ITTF World Youth Championships in Romania has suffered a dramatic setback after the country’s youth table tennis team was denied entry visas for the global event scheduled to take place from November 23–30, BSNSports.com.ng reports

The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) confirmed the development, describing it as a painful blow to the ambitions of the promising young squad, led by reigning West African champion Kuti Matthew.

The talented team had earned qualification by winning the U15 and U19 boys’ team titles at the 2025 ITTF-Africa Youth Championships held in Lagos earlier this year. Their impressive performance secured them an automatic slot at the World Championships, raising national expectations.

However, despite all required documentation being reportedly completed, the visa refusal has forced tournament organizers to replace Nigeria with Egypt and Tunisia in the affected team events.

The setback means the athletes will miss the opportunity to compete against the world’s best young players and gain crucial international exposure.

NTTF officials expressed disappointment, calling for urgent diplomatic engagement to prevent future incidents and safeguard Nigerian athletes’ right to compete on the global stage.

The ITTF World Youth Championships begin tomorrow in Romania.