The race to secure tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games begins as the African Qualification Tournament kicks off at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
A total of 26 men and 24 women from countries including Algeria, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Madagascar, Mauritius, Tunisia, Uganda, and host Rwanda will compete over the three-day event.
Six players – three men and three women – will earn spots in the Paris Olympic Games through these qualifiers held in East Africa’s largest indoor arena. With most players fresh from the recently concluded 2024 ITTF Africa Cup, the spotlight is on top seeds Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo and Offiong Edem, both medalists at the Africa Cup.
Omotayo, who debuted at Tokyo 2020, aims to return to the world’s biggest sports stage. To do so, he must outshine strong contenders such as Tunisia’s young talent, Wassim Essid, Cameroon’s Ylane Batix, Madagascar’s Fabio Rakotoarimanana, Congo Brazzaville’s experienced Saheed Idowu, and Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa.
Based on his Africa Cup performance, the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist is expected to secure his Paris spot by May 17, when the finalists in both men’s and women’s events will earn their Olympic tickets.
Omotayo’s compatriot, Offiong Edem, a bronze medalist at the 2023 African Games, aims for her fifth Olympic appearance, having competed at Athens 2004, London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. However, she faces stiff competition from Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou, the 2010 African Champion, who seeks her third Olympic appearance after participating in London 2012 and Tokyo 2020. Edem and Hanffou are also expected to contend with Tunisia’s Fadwa Garci and promising players from Madagascar and Mauritius.
