Table Tennis Legend Suraju Makes Continental Comeback In Morocco

Veteran table tennis star Saka Suraju is set to return to the continental stage a decade after his last major appearance, with the 50-year-old named in Congo Brazzaville’s squad for the 2026 ITTF Africa Championships in Tangier, Morocco.

The championships will take place from October 18 to 26, with Suraju preparing to compete against some of the continent’s leading players after several years away from top-level international competition.

Suraju last represented Congo Brazzaville at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, having previously competed at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics.

Despite moving into coaching in recent years, the veteran insists he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.

“In table tennis, age is just a number because the sport has always been my life. Even though I have been coaching lately, I still believe I have the mojo to compete at a higher level against some of Africa’s best.”

Suraju added that representing Congo Brazzaville again was particularly significant to him after the country’s support throughout his career.

His return to competitive action in 2025 offered evidence that he can still compete. At the Central African Regional Championships in Brazzaville, Suraju progressed through the group stage before losing a closely fought 4–3 quarter-final to eventual champion Batix Ylane of Cameroon.

The result underlined the veteran’s enduring quality and fighting spirit.

Suraju has enjoyed a distinguished career on the African table tennis circuit. In 2008, he became the first male singles champion since 1968, outside Egypt and Nigeria, to win the African Table Tennis Championships, claiming the title while representing Congo Brazzaville.

He also made history at the Olympic Games, becoming the first table tennis player from Congo Brazzaville to compete at the event.

His medal collection includes a doubles silver and team bronze at the 2015 All-Africa Games in Brazzaville, as well as a doubles bronze at the 2011 Games in Maputo.

His longevity has seen him become one of the continent’s most recognisable table tennis figures, with his career often compared with that of fellow Nigerian veteran Segun Toriola.

In Tangier, Suraju will form part of Congo Brazzaville’s three-man team alongside fellow veteran Saheed Idowu and rising player Pena Chelvy.

The trio will compete across seven events at the championships, which will be staged at the 10,000-capacity Salle Omnisports Arena.

For Suraju, the Tangier appearance represents another chapter in a remarkable career that has spanned several generations of African table tennis.