The event returns to Kenya for the first time since 2018.
Players from Djibouti, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, and hosts Kenya are among other countries that have confirmed participation in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Cup Championships scheduled for May 1 to 6 at the Kasarani Stadium.
Speaking on KBC, the Kenya Table Tennis Federation president Andrew Mudibo said the event will act as a build-up for the World Cup qualifiers because players are keen to earn points.
Mudibo said the international body is using a points system to rate players and failure to attend events will lead to many losses among the players.
“We have clubs from Nigeria, Morocco, and Algeria among other teams. The international body will send us a list of all the countries that have confirmed participation but the numbers are still increasing.
19:00 - 05.04.2023
TABLE TENNIS African Cup Championships return to Kenya after 4-year hiatus
The event was previously held in the country in 2018.
This is a points event and the players will be keen on maximising such events ahead of the Olympics next year,” Mudibo said.
With the financial challenges the Kenyan board is facing, Mudibo said hosting international events comes as an added advantage because players from within are able to take part in the event and increase their world rankings.
To give the players a platform to learn, Mudibo revealed that they will be keen to bring coaches from abroad to train the players so they can be able to face off against some of the best players in the world.
“We want to host events so that our players are more exposed and are able to earn points. Going forward, we also want to have two foreign coaches coming and being positioned in the country. We are currently facing a financial crisis and can’t afford to carry out some things,” he said.
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KTTA has hosted previous major tournaments including the 2018 continental showpiece that saw Assar conquer Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna to claim his first title in the East African nation.
Another Egyptian, Dina Meshref took the women's title. Mudibo confirmed that the duo will be returning to this year’s event.