Ogu Secures Hosting Rights for National Top 16 Table Tennis Championship

Posted : 13 November 2026

Ogu community in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State is set to welcome Nigeria's top table tennis players as the National Top 16 Championship moves to the South-South region for the first time in several years.

The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has scheduled the competition for Dec. 11 to 14, 2026, with sponsorship from the Fifika Chiri Foundation.

The championship is part of the federation's renewed drive to decentralise the development of table tennis and extend its popularity beyond the South-West, traditionally regarded as the sport's stronghold.

NTTF President, Dr. Adesoji Tayo, disclosed this during a visit to Ogu, where he inspected facilities ahead of the tournament.

Tayo described the decision to bring the championship to Rivers as an important step towards establishing the South-South as another major centre for table tennis development.

He commended the President of the Fifika Chiri Foundation, Alabo Boma Iyaye, for supporting the initiative and creating an opportunity for the community to host a national competition.

The NTTF president said table tennis offered opportunities beyond professional competition, stressing its importance to recreation, physical fitness and healthy living.

"Table tennis is a game for all, and it is a game that can be played even till old age," he said.

Tayo added that the sport could provide young people with opportunities to develop their abilities, earn a livelihood and achieve international recognition.

"Coming to Rivers State is not just to talk about competition; it is to talk about table tennis and how table tennis can help us to live a good daily life," he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the facilities inspected in Ogu, describing the proposed venue as suitable for the championship.

"I'm happy that a beautiful edifice could be here. It's good for the competition," he said.

He also assured the organisers of the federation's technical support, including the provision of professional equipment, competition tables and other materials required for the event.

According to him, the NTTF would facilitate the participation of the country's top 16 male and female players to ensure a strong competitive field.

"We'll bring them, we'll facilitate the process of ensuring that they come. We will provide all the professional kits that they will require," he said.

For Iyaye, the championship represents the culmination of years of efforts to revive table tennis in his community.

The NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, said his passion for the sport developed during his childhood in Port Harcourt, where table tennis was a popular recreational activity.

"Growing up in Port Harcourt, we all played table tennis. You cannot grow up in Port Harcourt and not play table tennis," he said.

He explained that his involvement in grassroots development began with a local Christmas table tennis competition, which gradually expanded to attract players from different parts of Rivers State.

The growing interest inspired him to seek a bigger platform for the community by bringing a national championship to Ogu.

"At the local level, we started, and then we transcended to the state level. We have state players that come in here every Christmas to play table tennis. But this year, I said, 'Can't we make it a national competition?'" he said.

Iyaye described the NTTF's decision as a significant achievement for Ogu and Rivers State, promising the necessary logistical support to guarantee a successful championship.

He said the community had adequate hotel accommodation, accessible roads, a memorial hall suitable for indoor sports and reliable electricity through the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company and solar power systems.

"We will do everything within our means to make sure that this competition is not only held in Ogu once, but will continuously hold in this part of the world," he said.

He added that the initiative was designed to promote grassroots sports development while placing Ogu on the national and international sporting map.

Also speaking, the South-South representative on the NTTF board, Ama-ebi Ebikpolade, described the hosting rights as a major breakthrough for the region.

He noted that Rivers State had not hosted a major NTTF competition for a considerable period, despite its established sporting profile.

"For the first time, I think for the first time, a tournament of that level is coming to Rivers State," Ebikpolade said.

He praised Iyaye for providing the support that made the championship possible, expressing optimism that the competition would become an annual fixture in Ogu.

"Today, we have started. We have taken the first step towards the annual hosting of the Nigerian National Top 16 in Ogu, courtesy of Alabo Boma Iyaye, and we cannot thank him enough," he said.

The championship is expected to bring together the country's leading male and female players, providing a competitive platform for elite athletes while exposing the South-South region to top-level table tennis.

The decision to stage the National Top 16 Championship in Ogu represents an important opportunity to expand table tennis development beyond its traditional strongholds. With the support of the NTTF and the Fifika Chiri Foundation, the competition is expected to strengthen grassroots participation, showcase the region's hosting capacity and create a pathway for Ogu to become a regular destination for national table tennis events.

Ogu Secures Hosting Rights for National Top 16 Table Tennis Championship

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