Table tennis will kickstart the 13th African Games taking place in Accra, Ghana, from March 8 to 23, according to a statement by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) made known on Sunday.
Being one of the sports expected to showcase talents and skills, 29 countries will jostle for honours in seven events at the games.
All eyes will be on Africa’s highest-ranked player, Quadri Aruna of Nigeria, who is yet to add the African Games men’s singles title to his medal tray.
The statement by the ITTF also said the Accra International Conference Centre would host the table tennis event for seven days.
The men’s singles will kick off the tournament with 84 men, while 62 women will battle for the coveted prize in the event.
According to the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), the 18 men’s teams will be drawn into six groups of three each, while the 12 women’s teams will be drawn into four groups.
The top teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage of the event.
It stated that in the last two editions of the games, Egypt had dominated all the events, claiming the majority of the gold medals ahead of the former continent’s heavyweight, Nigeria.
In the men’s singles, all eyes will be on men’s defending champion Olajide Omotayo, who has not replicated the form he displayed at Rabat 2019 in any continental event.
Source: Vanguard News