ITTF President Petra Sörling has hailed the standard on display at the African Championships, stressing that the event provides a crucial route towards the World Championships while giving emerging talent the chance to test themselves in elite senior competition.
A key route to the world stage
Sörling said the Continental Championships hold major importance for the International Table Tennis Federation, with competitors clearly eager to take part and pursue qualification for the World Championships.
“The Continental Championships matter enormously to us,” Sörling said. “It is clear that the players enjoy competing there, and it is also a route through to the World Championships.”
The tournament also functions as a qualifying competition for the World Team Championships. The next, 2026 edition is scheduled to be staged in Tangier, Morocco.
Africa’s rising generation of talent
The ITTF chief believes the increasing number of young players appearing for national teams demonstrates the continent’s expanding pool of table tennis talent.
- Many African sides are introducing younger competitors into their line-ups.
- Sörling said she has seen a large number of gifted players across the continent.
- She described the level of play at the championships as extremely high.
“A great many teams are bringing through a new generation,” she said. “In Africa in particular, I can see so many talented players. The standard is very high.”
Men’s final underlines tournament quality
Sörling highlighted the men’s team final as evidence of the competition’s strength, recalling how a young player created several match-point opportunities against Egypt’s Omar Assar before beating the African star.
Assar remains the only male player from Africa to have captured seven Africa Cup titles.
“We could look at the men’s team final as an example,” Sörling said. “A young player had so many match points against a superstar such as Omar Assar and then managed to win the match. We know table tennis is a mental sport, so it is really encouraging to see matches of that quality at the top level.”
Senior experience for emerging players
Sörling described the African Championships as an important entry point for younger competitors beginning their senior international careers.
“I believe the African Championships offer an excellent gateway for new and young players to get their first experience,” she said.
She also spoke about meeting a young Moroccan player during the event, saying the girl was particularly excited about making her senior debut.
“I met a very young girl from Morocco here, and she was extremely excited to play in the senior event for the first time,” Sörling said.
Her comments come amid Africa’s growing presence within the global game. Sörling has previously pointed to the Africa Cup as a reflection of the continent’s increasing influence and international profile in table tennis.
