ITTF African Championship: Nigeria, 21 Others Battle for World Team Cup Qualification

By Admin The already confirmed 22 teams, including continent’s powerhouses, Nigeria and Egypt, are expected to battle for the 2019 ITTF World Team Cup at the 2018 ITTF African Championships holding in Mauritius on September 3 to 9. According to the President, African Table Tennis Federation, Khaled El-Salhy, the two teams (men and women) that will represent Africa at the World Team Cup holding in November 2019 will be known at the end of the team event in Mauritius. “The Mauritius will also serve as the qualification for the next World Team Cup to be held in November 2019 in Tokyo as a test event for Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 in Japan,” El-Salhy said. Being a record entry for the tournament in recent times and the countries expected in the Ocean Island include host, Mauritius, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Gabon, Angola, Burkina Faso, Congo Brazzaville, Cameroun, Somalia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Madagascar, Togo, Benin Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa, Djibouti, Comoros, Libya, Eritrea and Congo DRC. For the ATTF boss, this is a good development for the continent. “Yes I am so happy in following up the expected good number of entries in-spite of the received information from National Associations, hoping that all could do it and come with us to Mauritius soon,” the ATTF boss said. Aside the tournament, Khaled El-Salhy said the Mauritius would afford the reconsider its new strategic plan for the next few years. He said: “This time we have a special ITTF/ATTF Forum: ‘Table Tennis For All. For Life,” holding on 3 to 4 September in which we are planning to conduct our new continental Strategic Plan for the coming years of 2018 to 2024. ATTF is looking to conduct a special Strategic Plan satisfying the needs of all African Associations with a great concentration for the activities through Regions in the future in which more small nations could come with less cost. ”