The Nigerian national table tennis team has emerged victorious at the 2025 African Table Tennis Championship, dominating the tournament and reaffirming the country’s supremacy on the continental stage.
Led by table tennis icon Aruna Quadri, the Nigerian squad outclassed their final opponents in a thrilling 3-1 victory over South Africa on Sunday evening, sealing yet another gold medal for the country.
The win marks Nigeria’s 12th continental title, further strengthening its legacy as Africa’s table tennis powerhouse.
Speaking after the match, Quadri said:
“We came with one goal — to win it for Nigeria. The team gave everything. This victory is for every Nigerian out there.”
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Social Media Explodes with Taunts
Soon after the win, jubilant Nigerians took to X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok, unleashing waves of celebratory posts — many of which were laced with taunts aimed at rival countries.
Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa were frequent targets, as fans mocked their performance or absence from the finals altogether.
A user on X, @IAmTeejay, posted:
“South Africa should stick to rugby. Table tennis no be your mate. Nigeria owns this sport in Africa.”
Another, @BurnaOfAfrica, tweeted:
“Dear Ghana, try qualify for finals first before shouting ‘Year of Return’. Return to training first.”
A user identified as @SirBanty posted:
“Dear Ghana, while you were busy arguing over jollof rice, Nigeria was busy lifting trophies.”
A viral TikTok skit showed a man dressed as a “Kenyan athlete” returning home with an empty bag, captioned: “What did you bring from the tournament? Just vibes?”
While the jokes rolled in, many fans also called for increased funding for table tennis and other non-football sports in Nigeria.
Sports analyst Chika Umeh said on Channels TV:
“Nigeria’s dominance in table tennis is a golden opportunity to build world-class talent. With more investment, we could rival China on the global stage.”
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The Bigger Picture
The win wasn’t just symbolic — it also secured Nigeria’s automatic qualification for the upcoming World Team Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo.
As celebrations continue, rival nations are left rethinking their strategies — and maybe, their social media replies.
In a post-match interview, South Africa’s coach, Thabo Luthuli, admitted:
“Nigeria played a fantastic tournament. We’ll go back to the drawing board.”
For now, Nigerians are basking in the glory, and as the trending hashtag #TableTennisIsOurs shows, they’re not letting anyone forget it.
