Nigeria is making a strong move to return to the global junior table tennis scene. Umar Ayoola and Elizabeth Emelike have been selected for the ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge 2026.
This event will take place from October 12 to 18 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, United Kingdom. It will feature 36 of the best U-12 players from 26 countries around the world.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and Table Tennis England are co-hosting the event. This programme is the last stage of the ITTF’s talent identification process. It allows young players from different continents to train with top coaches and compete against other rising stars in the sport.
Ayoola and Emelike earned their spots in Sheffield after impressive performances at the Africa Hopes Week and Challenge in Ghana. Their success placed them among the top young talents in Africa and gave them the chance to compete globally.
The ITTF said participants were selected through their Continental Hopes programmes. Only the best performers made it to the World Hopes Week & Challenge. The 2026 edition shows the programme's expanding international presence, with players from both strong table tennis countries and new ones.
During the week-long event, players will take part in intense training sessions and a Challenge competition. But the evaluations will go beyond just match results. They will look at players' technical skills, attitude towards training, and overall growth potential. The best performers will be chosen for the Hopes Team, which gives them a quicker path into the ITTF High Performance programme.
Nigeria will not be alone in Sheffield. Other African players joining them include Egypt’s Zeina Farouk and Adam Lashin, Tunisia’s Ritej Charif, and Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira.
Young talents from countries like Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, Romania, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and more will also compete. This shows how global the event truly is.
The ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge 2026 promises a mix of top-level training, competitive matches, and cultural sharing.
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