Tanger Hosts the General Assembly of the African Table Tennis Confederation
Table Tennis Africa: Key Developments and Future Directions Discussed in Tangier
The city of Tangier recently hosted the General Assembly of the African Table Tennis Confederation, coinciding with the African Championships held in the same location. The meeting brought together over 70 members, including prominent figures from the international sports community, such as Petra Sörling, the President of the International Table Tennis Federation, and Nawal El Moutawakel, the Vice President of the International Olympic Committee.
This assembly provided a crucial opportunity to assess the state of table tennis across the African continent, addressing both the challenges it faces in terms of development and various organizational proposals and amendments to the statutes. Participants also engaged in discussions regarding the work program and upcoming African competitions planned for 2027.
Anas El Ziati, President of the Royal Moroccan Table Tennis Federation, emphasized that hosting this meeting in Morocco reflects the growing prominence of table tennis within the country. He also highlighted the significance of having international and African sports leaders participate in discussions about the future of the sport.
He noted that the proceedings unfolded in a spirit of transparency and democracy, characterized by exchanges on various organizational issues. The Royal Moroccan Federation notably presented proposals aimed at improving the functioning of the African Confederation and revising certain provisions of its statutes.
Nawal El Moutawakel stressed the need to enhance the participation of youth and women in sports, combat harassment in sports environments, improve funding mechanisms, and facilitate access to infrastructure. She asserted that the development of table tennis requires a continuous modernization of management methods to restore the discipline to the status it deserves.
She also commended the positive momentum currently seen within the Royal Moroccan Table Tennis Federation, highlighting the efforts of a young and dynamic team committed to the advancement of the sport.
In her remarks, Petra Sörling expressed pride in the progress made by table tennis in Africa, underlining the emergence of young talents and the improvement of competitive standards during continental tournaments. She also praised the quality of organization and hospitality afforded to participants in Morocco, viewing this assembly as a testament to the willingness of all parties to continue their joint efforts in promoting the sport.
Discussions also included the challenges faced by national federations, methods to enhance sports governance, and the prospects for the development of table tennis practice. Participants particularly emphasized the importance of translating proposals into concrete measures in the forthcoming stages.
The meeting also reviewed the activities from the past year, the work program for 2026, as well as the guidelines for 2027 and upcoming African competitions. The goal is to strengthen coordination between national federations and promote the development of table tennis on a continental scale.
The organization of this General Assembly in Tangier, alongside the African Table Tennis Championships, exemplifies the vitality of this sport in Morocco and reinforces the Kingdom’s presence in continental and international discussions regarding its future.
Through these meetings, African table tennis aims to expand its participant base, support emerging talents, enhance training and competition conditions, and boost cooperation among national federations to elevate the discipline’s standards in future sporting events.
