The President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Petra Sorling has hailed the government of Kenya for staging a befitting continental cup while assuring that more support would come to Africa in the near future.
Sorling who is the first woman elected ITTF President was in Nairobi for the 2023 ITTF Africa Cup.
She described the organisation coupled with the standard of play as inspiring and encouraging.
"I am delighted with what I have seen in this year's ITTF Africa Cup. There have been significant improvements in the organisation and Kenya has been a great host," Sorling said.
"We have seen new talents during the event from Uganda and Madagascar, for example. This is very important for the growth of our sport and we are looking forward to seeing more African players performing at the highest level. We will continue supporting Africa through our program and activities,” she added.
This year’s World Championship in Durban, South Africa is the first for Africa in the last 84 years. Sorling expressed optimism in the organisation hoping that the continent would bring its flavor to the global tournament.
For the ITTF Vice President, Wahid Oshodi, the staging of the Africa Cup attested to the capacity of Kenya to host major international competitions—adding that the country has shown its commitment to the sport in the last five years.
He said that Durban hosting this year’s World Championships was a confirmation of the confidence ITTF has on the continent.
The 2023 ITTF Africa Cup had countries like host Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Djibouti, Uganda, Burundi and Congo Brazzaville among others competing in the women's and men's singles event.
