75 unseeded players vie for 2026 WTT Lagos Contender main draw spots

Seventy-five unseeded players will begin the battle for qualification into the main draw of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Lagos Contender, slated to serve off today inside the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. The entries for the qualifying draw showed that 43 players will compete for spots in the men’s singles, while […]

Seventy-five unseeded players will begin the battle for qualification into the main draw of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Lagos Contender, slated to serve off today inside the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The entries for the qualifying draw showed that 43 players will compete for spots in the men’s singles, while 32 players will battle in the women’s singles.
The qualification series for the main draw will end tomorrow (Wednesday, determining the players who will join the 48 who are already in the main draws.
Nigerian players already in the main draw include Omotayo Olajide, who got entry as a wildcard, alongside Matthew Kuti, Abdulahi Abdulfatai and Taiwo Mati in the men’s singles.
In the women’s singles, Nigeria’s Ajoke Ojomu, Fatimo Bello, Favour Ojo and Abosede Odusanya are in the main draw.
Speaking ahead of the competition, the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Tayo Adesoji, described this edition as unique, saying it attracted 30 top global players.
“We have top players that are competition-ready. This is a special event,” he said.
Adesoji disclosed that the country fielded a pool of young talents, adding that the tournament would offer them exposure and strengthen their confidence to compete with global talents.
The tournament Director, Kweku Tandoh, highlighted the event’s evolution from the Lagos State Table Tennis Classics in 2013 to the Nigeria Open in 2016, the ITTF Challenge Open in 2019, and finally the WTT Contender Lagos in 2023.
“This tournament has firmly established Lagos as a global table tennis destination. It has become a model for corporate sponsorship, thanks to the unwavering support of the Lagos State Government and our partners.
“We aim to keep improving and attracting more world-class players to the aquatic city of Lagos,” he noted.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu — represented by Oluyomi Oluwasanmi — praised the LOC’s efforts and reaffirmed Lagos as Africa’s sporting hub.