Preparations are in full swing for a high-energy week of table tennis in Nigeria, with the 2026 WTT Contender Lagos getting under way today at Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.
The six-day event runs through May 24 and brings together top table tennis players from 23 countries, all competing for a $100,000 prize pool as well as crucial ITTF World Ranking points.
Lagos has been chosen as one of just 10 venues worldwide for the WTT Contender series, and it is only the second city in Africa to stage the competition after Tunis.
At a press conference held yesterday, Adesoji Tayo, Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), called the 2026 tournament “unique,” while noting that 30 of the world’s top 100 ranked players are set to participate. He added that several athletes are arriving on the back of strong performances at the recently completed World Team Table Tennis Championships in London.
“WTT Contender Lagos has become a fixture on the calendar of many top players, and each year it grows in leaps and bounds,” Tayo said. “With the calibre of players signed up, fans should expect explosive matches this year.”
Tayo also expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government and the tournament’s sponsors, including Baba Ijebu Bet, Prime Atlantic, and CFOmoto, for their continued support.
Meanwhile, Tournament Director Kweku Tandoh traced the event’s progression from its earlier days as the Lagos State Table Tennis Classics in 2013, before it became the Nigeria Open in 2016 and then the ITTF Challenge Open in 2019. He said the tournament ultimately earned its current status as a WTT Contender event in 2023.
“This tournament has firmly established Lagos as a global table tennis destination. It has become a model for corporate sponsorship,” Tandoh remarked, adding that the organizing team is determined to keep raising the level year after year.
Representing the host city, the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu, spoke through Oluyomi Oluwasanmi, praising the LOC’s preparation and reiterating that Lagos remains Africa’s leading sports destination.
“That you keep coming demonstrates how much you love us,” Fatodu said in his message. “We promise that Lagos State, as a Centre of Excellence, will always live up to expectations. Please make new friends, visit some of our tourist attractions, and enjoy the hospitality peculiar to Lagos.”
Fatodu also highlighted that past editions of the competition have acted as an important pathway for development, helping Nigerian players gain experience and then compete strongly on the international stage.
The lineup includes leading names from Japan, South Korea, France, Portugal, Egypt, Romania, India, and Belgium. Denmark’s Anders Lind, the reigning men’s singles champion, and Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto, the women’s singles titleholder, have already arrived in the city, along with Japanese star Shunsuke Togami, who is seeking to defend his crown.
The action begins with two days of qualifying matches scheduled to start on Tuesday, featuring unseeded players chasing a place in the main draw. The main draw is set to begin on Thursday, May 21, with organizers promising an exciting, secure, and world-class atmosphere throughout the tournament.
