Oshodi, others cleared to contest for ITTF VP positions

World’s table tennis ruling body, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), has confirmed Nigeria’s Wahid Enitan Oshodi as one of the candidates for executive vice president positions in the November 24 elections to hold in the United States (U.S).

Oshodi, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, as well as erstwhile president of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), was in June elected as the deputy president of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF). He has received massive support from Africa for the upcoming elections in the U.S. based on his exemplary leadership role in the sport and outside it on the continent. 

In a statement issued by the ITTF, the world body said 17 candidates would contest the eight slots available for the VP positions.

The statement disclosed: “Following a vetting process by the ITTF Nominations Committee, the nominations for the ITTF Executive Committee have been announced to the ITTF Members.

“For the ITTF Executive Vice Presidents (8 positions), they are Nestor TENCA (Argentina), Graham SYMONS (Australia), Alaor AZEVEDO (Brazil), LIU Guoliang (China), Alaa MESHREF (Egypt), Michel GADAL (France), Tony YUE (Hong Kong), Roland NATRAN (Hungary), Behnam HABIBZADEHMOMEN (Iran), Masahiro MAEHARA (Japan), Teddy MATTHEWS (LCA), Wahid OSHODI (Nigeria), Paul KYLE (New Zeland), Khalil AL-MOHANNADI (Qatar), Igor LEVITIN (Russia), Dawoud ALHAJRI (United Arab Emirates) and Virginia SUNG (United States).

MEANWHILE, Sweden’s Petra Sörling is poised to become ITTF President after being confirmed as the sole candidate for the position at the organisation’s Annual General Assembly (AGM).

ITTF members will vote to elect the nine ITTF executive committee members with the president at the ITTF Annual General Meeting on 24 November 2021 in Houston.