Nigeria's Wahid Oshodi is a prominent figure in the upcoming International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) elections, where he is contesting for one of the eight available Executive Vice President seats. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, 27 May, during the ITTF Annual General Meeting in Doha, Qatar. Mr. Oshodi, a former commissioner for youth and sports in Lagos State, is one of only four incumbents seeking re-election and is widely regarded as a leading contender for the position.

During his first term on the Executive Board, Mr. Oshodi established a reputation for visionary leadership and diplomatic skill, earning him respect within the global table tennis community. His influence in the sport was further solidified earlier in 2024 when he was elected President of the African Table Tennis Federation. Notably, he played a crucial role in mending relations between World Table Tennis (WTT) and the athletes’ community, positioning himself as a key advocate for unity and reform within the sport.

The race for the Executive Vice President positions is highly competitive, with seventeen candidates vying for the available seats. Alongside Mr. Oshodi, the roster of candidates includes Hajera Hajee of South Africa, Robert Jjagwe of Uganda, Ayman Ali of Sudan, Beatrice Romanescu of Romania, Paul Calle of Ecuador, Ichiro Hoshino of Japan, Imre Kovacsics of Hungary, and Veli Ozan Cakir of Turkey. Other contenders are Alaor Azevedo of Brazil, Alaa Meshref of Egypt, Anthony Moore of Australia, Liu Guoliang of China, Stefano Bosi of Italy, Princess Zeina Rashid of Jordan, Virginia Sung of the United States, and Ryu Seungmin of South Korea. Three candidates, Andrew Mudibo of Kenya, Elhajji Monqid of Morocco, and Lotfi Guerfel of Tunisia, have withdrawn their nominations.

In addition to the Executive Vice President elections, the ITTF will also elect its President. Incumbent Petra Sörling of Sweden is seeking a second term in office. She faces challenges from Khalil Al-Mohannadi of Qatar and Mohamed El Hacen Ahmed Salem of Mauritania. Ms. Sörling made history in 2021 by becoming the first female President of the ITTF. She assumed leadership during a challenging period marked by the global pandemic and increasing geopolitical tensions.

Petra Sörling's administration is credited with restoring financial stability to the federation and strongly emphasizing global unity through the sport of table tennis. A significant milestone during her tenure was her election to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), making her the first ITTF President to achieve this honor, which considerably elevated the international profile of table tennis. Her bid for re-election is supported by several major sporting nations, who view her as a leader capable of continuing the federation’s momentum and advancing the sport to new heights.

With 227 member associations, the ITTF stands as the world’s largest sport federation. The outcomes of the elections in Doha are anticipated to significantly shape the future direction of global table tennis for the coming years. For Nigeria and the African continent, the potential re-election of Wahid Oshodi to the Executive Vice President role signals a continued and growing influence on the international sporting stage, promising a stronger voice for the region in global table tennis governance.