Nigeria and Egypt will be leading the African contingent to the highly anticipated ITTF World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) which begins on Friday, February 16 at BEXCO, the vibrant city of Busan, Korea Republic.
Forty men and 40 women teams have been drawn into eight groups of five teams each with the top eight teams in the men and women events qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.
The Nigerian men’s team have been drawn against Japan, Chinese Taipei, Madagascar, and Czech Republic while the Egyptian team led by Omar Assar will battle Portugal, Romania, Iran and Thailand.
However, ITTF has praised the commendable efforts of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and Korean Table Tennis Association (KTTA), as they get ready to kickstart the event.
At a press conference held on Thursday February 15, Petra Sörling, ITTF President and IOC member and Ryu Seung-min, Co-Chair of the Local Organising Committee, ITTF Executive Board Member, and IOC Member and World No.9 Shin Yubin, shared their excitement and gratitude for the efforts of the LOC and KTTA to prepare to deliver this groundbreaking event.
This event is also the first ITTF event, and the first non-multisport World Championships hosted in Korea Republic to receive the ISO 20121 Certification for Outstanding Sustainability Performance.
“Today we are in Busan, aware of the sacrifices and determination it took to bring this event to realisation. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to our gracious hosts, and to all our partners who have supported us throughout this journey. The ISO Certification we have received is a testament to the hard work of our local leadership, and I’m incredibly proud to see this become a historic moment. The organisers here are showing us that we can all make a difference, even with small steps towards sustainability. They’ve put a lot of effort into reducing waste and paper usage, among other things. I am excited to see how this event unfolds and how we can continue to learn and improve for future events. This is a crucial first step for us, and I commend the team for their efforts,” Sorling said.
Ryu Seung-min, emphasised the significance of hosting the Championships in Busan.
“Usually for a World Championship like this, it takes two or three years to prepare. But for us, we have had six years, which adds to my confidence that this event will be a successful one,” stated Ryu Seung-min. “This event represents a new chapter for table tennis in Korea Republic. We are honoured to welcome players and fans from around the world to experience the excitement and hospitality of Busan,” the former Olympics champion said.
The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Busan 2024 promises to be a thrilling celebration of the sport, uniting players and fans from around the globe in the vibrant city of Busan.