Ayoola, Emelike Earn World Hopes Places As Nigeria Targets Table Tennis Revival

Nigeria’s Umar Ayoola and Elizabeth Emelike have been selected for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Hopes Week & Challenge 2026, providing the country with another opportunity to strengthen its presence on the global junior table tennis stage.

The prestigious event is scheduled to hold from October 12 to 18 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, United Kingdom, with 36 of the world’s leading Under-12 players from 26 countries expected to participate.

Jointly organised by the ITTF and Table Tennis England, the World Hopes Week & Challenge is the final stage of the federation’s Hopes talent identification programme, designed to identify and develop promising young players from across the world.

Ayoola and Emelike earned their places after impressive performances at the Africa Hopes Week and Challenge in Ghana, where they emerged among the continent’s leading young prospects.

The ITTF said participants for the global event were selected through their respective Continental Hopes programmes, with the strongest performers progressing to the World Hopes Week & Challenge.

The week-long programme will combine intensive technical training with competitive action, giving the young players an opportunity to work with elite coaches and test themselves against some of the best emerging talents in their age group.

Beyond match results, the players will be assessed on their technical abilities, attitude towards training and overall development potential.

The most impressive performers will earn selection to the prestigious Hopes Team, which offers a pathway into the ITTF High Performance programme.

Nigeria’s representatives will compete alongside other African prospects, including Egypt’s Zeina Farouk and Adam Lashin, Tunisia’s Ritej Charif and Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira.

Players from Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, Romania, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Venezuela are also expected to participate.

The selection of Ayoola and Emelike represents another step in Nigeria’s efforts to develop a new generation of table tennis players capable of competing at the highest international level.

For the two young Nigerians, the Sheffield event will provide valuable exposure to elite coaching, international competition and a wider network of emerging players, while offering an opportunity to stake their claim for a place in the ITTF’s long-term high-performance pathway.

The World Hopes Week & Challenge is also expected to provide a combination of technical development, competition and cultural exchange as the participating young athletes continue their journey towards elite table tennis.