By Victor Kanayo
Top Nigerian Table Tennis Administrator, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, will be among 17 global candidates vying for eight available positions as Executive Vice Presidents of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) on Tuesday, 27 May, in Doha, Qatar.
Heritage Times HT reports that the election will take place during the ITTF Annual General Meeting (AGM).
“All candidates have been vetted and approved by the Nominations Committee following the ITTF Electoral and Appointment Regulations, following their meeting on 6 March 2025,” a statement by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation revealed.
“Oshodi, one of four incumbents seeking re-election, is widely regarded as a strong contender due to his significant contributions during his first term on the Executive Board. His leadership and diplomacy have earned him respect within the global table tennis community.”
In 2024, Oshodi was elected President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ITTF Africa), further cementing his influence in the sport.
He played a pivotal role in resolving tensions between World Table Tennis (WTT) and the athletes’ community, enhancing his reputation as a unifying figure.
Other candidates for the Executive Vice President positions include: Hajera Hajee (South Africa), Robert Jjagwe (Uganda), Ayman Ali (Sudan), Beatrice Romanescu (Romania), Paul Calle (Ecuador), Ichiro Hoshino (Japan), Imre Kovacsics (Hungary), Veli Ozan Cakir (Turkey), Alaor Azevedo (Brazil), Alaa Meshref (Egypt), Anthony Moore (Australia), Liu Guoliang (China), Stefano Bosi (Italy), Princess Zeina Rashid (Jordan), Virginia Sung (USA) and Ryu Seungmin (South Korea).
Meanwhile, Andrew Mudibo (Kenya), Elhajji Monqid (Morocco), and Lotfi Guerfel (Tunisia) have withdrawn their candidacies.
In addition to the Vice Presidential race, the ITTF Presidential election will also take place, featuring three candidates: incumbent Petra Sörling (Sweden), Khalil Al-Mohannadi (Qatar), and newcomer Mohamed El Hacen Ahmed Salem (Mauritania).
Sörling, the first female ITTF President, was elected in 2021 during a turbulent period marked by the global pandemic and geopolitical tensions. Her tenure has been credited with stabilising the federation’s finances and promoting unity through sport. She also became the first ITTF President to earn a seat on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a milestone that has elevated the sport’s global profile.
Backed by major sporting nations, Sörling is seeking a second term to build on the momentum of the past four years and continue advancing the sport worldwide.
The ITTF, with 227 member associations, remains the largest sports federation globally, and the upcoming elections are expected to shape the future of table tennis for years to come.
