October 17, (THEWILL) – Wahid Enitan Oshodi of Nigeria has been unanimously elected as the sixth President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF). The election was held during the Elective Annual General Meeting held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, marking a new chapter in the federation’s leadership.
Oshodi, who currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), succeeds Egypt’s Khaled El-Salhy, who completed three terms in office. This election makes Oshodi the second Nigerian to lead the ATTF, following in the footsteps of Engr Segun George, who held the position from 1988 to 1996. Notably, Oshodi is now the only Nigerian presently heading a continental sports organisation.
The election also saw other key positions filled within the ATTF leadership. Cameroon’s Alfred Bagueka was unanimously chosen as Deputy President, while Germain Karou and Andrew Mudibo were elected Executive Vice Presidents (EVP) for Technical and Development, respectively. Ghana’s Mawuko Afadzinu won the position of EVP Marketing, Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Bizane secured EVP Media/PR, South Africa’s Hajera Kajee took EVP Finance, and Egypt’s Moataz Ashour claimed EVP Administration.
In addition to these appointments, Nigeria’s Olabanji Oladapo earned a seat on the ITTF Council as one of eight African representatives. This election was particularly competitive, further strengthening Africa’s representation in international table tennis governance. The new leadership team is expected to bring fresh perspectives and strategies to promote and develop table tennis across the African continent.
These elections represent a significant shift in the governance of African table tennis, with a diverse group of leaders from various countries now at the helm. The new team faces the task of advancing the sport’s popularity, improving infrastructure, and enhancing the competitiveness of African players on the global stage.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
