The head of the International Table Tennis Federation Africa, Waheed Oshodi, has called on the National Sports Commission to focus financial support on sports that regularly secure medals in international events, according to Sunday PUNCH.
Oshodi spoke up during the WTT Contender Lagos finals, where both local and global stars entertained spectators as the table tennis event keeps going in Lagos.
Praising the initiatives of the NSC’s new leadership, Oshodi noted that although there is excitement for football, sports like table tennis, wrestling, and athletics have brought more medals to the nation in multi-sport competitions, but still get much less support.
“We continue to discuss the large budget, but we need to witness its expenditure,” Oshodi stated.
The reality is, we haven’t accomplished enough for other sports. Football is significant, and we all enjoy it, but these are the sports that truly make a difference. These are the ones that bring home medals.
Oshodi conveyed cautious hope regarding the new NSC’s progress, stating, “I am grateful to the new Director General and Chairman of the National Sports Commission. They are off to a good start, they have made efforts. However, in my view, I see the green lights, we simply need more funding.”
He also emphasized the achievements of leading African athletes participating on the world stage despite minimal institutional backing.
“At the highest level, athletes such as Quadri Aruna and Omar Assar are contending with the world’s best, yet this is an impressive achievement given the limited resources allocated to sports facilities throughout Africa,” he stated.
Referring to Egypt as an example of outstanding achievement, Oshodi highlighted the nation’s sustained focus on promoting sports.
Egypt possesses an impressive sports infrastructure, and the outcomes are evident. A significant portion of their achievements stems from organized backing, and we are once more witnessing this at the African Youth Championships.
He also discussed the role of ITTF Africa in closing financial gaps throughout the continent, highlighting the achievements of the Africa Hopes Week, a training camp for U-12 players conducted during the 2025 Lagos Festival of Tennis.
“I’m genuinely more thrilled about Hopes Week than the WTT event,” Oshodi mentioned.
We had athletes from Uganda and throughout Africa. It’s no longer just Nigeria and Egypt. These young individuals are emerging, and there’s now a distinct pathway for them.
Highlighting the rise of talented Nigerian athletes, Oshodi emphasized a young player called Samson Joshua as an example of the nation’s increasing strength.
“Each time I visit Nigeria, there’s a new, thrilling young talent. This Joshua is truly exceptional. We have 20, 30, even 40 players who can reach world-class standards, and that’s impressive for a country like Nigeria since we haven’t invested that much,” he said.
As the 2025 Lagos Festival of Table Tennis approaches its end, with two of the four key events held between 16 July and 5 August in Lagos, Oshodi noted that Nigeria has proven its capability to organize top-tier competitions.
Nevertheless, he cautioned that the growth of talent would come to a halt without adequate financial support.
“The WTT Lagos has demonstrated that we are capable of organizing top-tier events despite challenging conditions. Now, the focus is on expanding and ensuring our young athletes are prepared to compete at this level. However, this will not be possible without substantial funding,” he concluded.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
