President, ITTF Africa, Wahid Oshodi (left); ITTF President, Petra Sorling and former IOC President, Thomas Bach at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games at the Dakar Expo Centre in Senegal
Commendation
President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ITTF Africa), Wahid Oshodi, has commended the organisation of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, describing it as a positive image of Africa to the world.
He said the preparations and organisation of the Games had demonstrated Africa’s ability to host world-class sporting competitions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Games on Sunday, Oshodi said the event had showcased Africa’s hospitality, culture and organisational capacity.
“Everything has been fine. Transportation has been excellent, the people have been overwhelmingly nice, and the competition has been very good,” he said.
Oshodi also described the opening as outstanding, saying the cultural displays had made Africans proud.
“The opening ceremony was fantastic, truly out of this world. The cultural displays brought everything home to us in Africa and made us proud.
“Overall, everyone has been warm and welcoming, and the events have been very well organised,” he said.
The former Lagos State Commissioner for Sports said the Games offered Africa an opportunity to showcase its strengths both on and off the sporting arena.
Oshodi began his formal career in sports administration at the Lagos State Sports Council in 1999.
Since then, he has held several positions in national, continental and international sports organisations.
He has served in the Lagos State Table Tennis Association, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, African Table Tennis Federation, International Table Tennis Federation and Nigeria Olympic Committee.
He has also participated in various working groups of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
In spite of his achievements in sports administration, Oshodi, an Executive Vice-President of the ITTF, said some of his most memorable moments came from successes in table tennis through proper planning and athlete development.
“When you win team events in table tennis, those are the big medals.
“We planned well, prepared well, trained properly and brought in the right coaches. Everything worked out the way we intended. Those are moments I will always remember,” he said.
The veteran administrator also highlighted the importance of passion in sports development.
He met IOC President Kirsty Coventry and former IOC President Thomas Bach in Dakar.
Oshodi recalled his early interactions with Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna, saying the player’s ambition to become “the greatest table tennis player ever” convinced him of his potential.
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He also dismissed the perception that sports administration was an easy task.
According to him, effective leadership requires education, technical knowledge and professional expertise.
“It is one thing to love sports. It is another thing entirely to be an administrator.
“The hard work behind sports administration is what people don’t see, and the education required is often underestimated,” he added.(NAN)
