Ogu in Ogu/Bolo Local Council Area of Rivers State will host Nigeria’s National Top 16 Table Tennis Championship from December 11 to 14, 2026, in a move aimed at strengthening grassroots development and expanding the sport’s reach in the South-South.

The four-day competition, sponsored by the Fifika Chiri Foundation, will feature the country’s top 16 male and female table tennis players, according to the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation.

The event is expected to create opportunities for talent discovery, promote the sport and inspire a new generation of players in the region.

Speaking during an inspection of facilities in Ogu, NTTF President, Dr Adesoji Tayo, commended the President of the Fifika Chiri Foundation, Alabo Boma Iyaye, for supporting the development of table tennis and bringing a national-level competition to Rivers State.

Tayo said the championship could help establish the South-South as another major centre for the sport beyond its traditional stronghold in the South-West.

Tayo also described table tennis as a sport accessible to people of different ages, with benefits including recreation, physical fitness and healthy living. He said the federation would provide the required professional equipment and technical support, including competition tables, while facilitating the participation of the 16 leading male and female players and providing them with professional kits.

Iyaye, who is also the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission, said his support for the sport was rooted in his childhood in Port Harcourt, where table tennis was a popular recreational activity. He said his efforts to revive interest in Ogu began with an annual Christmas table tennis tournament that later grew to attract players from across Rivers State.

He described the selection of Ogu to host the national championship as a significant achievement and pledged to work towards making the event a regular fixture in the area.

The NTTF South-South representative, Ama-ebi Ebikpolade, also welcomed the development, describing it as a major breakthrough for the region. He noted that despite Rivers State’s reputation for sports, it had not hosted a major NTTF competition for a long time, making the planned championship a significant return of top-level table tennis to the South-South.