Rivers to Host National Top 16 Table Tennis Championship - THISDAYLIVE

The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has announced that the National Top 16 Table Tennis Championship will take place in Ogu community in Ogu/Bolo local government area of Rivers State, from December 11-14, 2026, in a move aimed at expanding the sport’s popularity and developing talents in the South-South region.

The championship, which is being sponsored by the Fifika Chiri Foundation, according to the President of the NTTF, Dr Adesoji Tayo, would mark the beginning of a sustained effort to promote table tennis beyond its traditional stronghold in the South-West and establish the South-South as a major centre for the sport.

Tayo spoke during a visit to Ogu community, where he inspected facilities for the proposed competition and commended the President of Fifika Chiri Foundation, Alabo Boma Iyaye, for supporting the development of table tennis.

He described table tennis as a sport for everyone, irrespective of age, saying its benefits extended beyond competitive sports 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.

According to him, the sport could be played competitively, recreationally and as a means of livelihood, adding that it offered opportunities for young people to develop their talents and become internationally recognised athletes.

“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,” Tayo said.

The NTTF president 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.

Tayo disclosed that the federation would facilitate the participation of the country’s top 16 male and female players, who would converge on Ogu to showcase their skills.

Speaking while hosting the NTTF president during a courtesy visit in Ogu, Alabo Boma Iyaye, who is also the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said his passion for table tennis was rooted in his childhood experiences and longstanding involvement in sports.

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

Iyaye said he subsequently decided to revive interest in the sport in his community by organising a local Christmas table tennis competition, which later expanded to attract players from across Rivers State.

He said the competition, which had been sustained for several years, inspired him to seek a national-level event for 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.

The foundation president described the decision to bring the National Top 16 Championship to Ogu as a major achievement for the community and Rivers State.

“I want to specially thank you for accepting to come, not only to Rivers State, but to Ogu, to host the National Top 16. That is a major feat,” he said.

He assured the federation that the community would provide the necessary facilities and logistical support to ensure a successful competition.

According to him, Ogu has hotels, a good road network, a memorial hall suitable for indoor sports and reliable electricity supply 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,” Iyaye said.

He added that the initiative was not only intended to develop table tennis but also to place Ogu on the international sporting map.

Also speaking, the South-South representative on the NTTF board, Ama-ebi Ebikpolade, described the decision to host the competition in Rivers State as a significant development for the region.

He said the South-South had not hosted a major NTTF competition in a long time, despite Rivers State’s reputation as a sporting destination.

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

He commended Iyaye for providing the support needed to bring the championship to Ogu, describing the development as the first step towards making the community an annual host of the competition.

“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

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