MEN
ARUNA QUADRI (NGR), 27, is one of Africa’s top players who dazed the world with his excellent performance at the 2014 ITTF World Cup to be named the 2014 ITTF Star Player. He plies his trade in the prestigious French League while his powerful forehand singled him out among his contemporaries. He is the first Nigerian and African to be ranked in top 30 in the world.
SEGUN TORIOLA (NGR), 41, is Africa’s most decorated table tennis athlete having won more titles than any player in the continent. A Commonwealth medalist and his qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has made him the first African to be competing in seven Olympics.
OLAH BENEDEK (FIN), 25, is a national champion of Finland and a member of the Finish national team since 2006. He won the Finnish championship in singles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, as well as doubles in 2008, 2009 and 2012. He claimed the title in mixed doubles in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
EL-SAYED LASHIN (EGY), 36, made his international debut in 1997 and he has competed for Egypt at several Continental Championships, African Games and Olympic Games. He is a two times winner of the Francophone Games and a three times winner of the African Cup.
THOMAS KEINATH (SVK), 38, is a German – Slovak athlete, a former European junior champion and a bronze medalist in doubles event at the 2000 European Championships.
BODE ABIODUN (NGR), 35, has spent most his career in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon and he has established himself in the European. Since returning to the Nigerian national team in 2014, he has become an integral member of the Nigerian team.
AFSHIN NOROOZI (IRN), 31, has established himself as an international player from Iran and he is the first table tennis Olympian from Iran when he competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games I China.
DIOGO CHEN (POR), 19, a former Portuguese national junior star who has come of age and ranked among the top 50 U-21 players in the world.
WOMEN
JIENI SHAO (POR), 22, is a Chinese-born Portuguese star and has been rubbing shoulders with the world’s best after claiming the singles title at the 2015 edition of the ITTF Premier Lotto Nigerian Open.
SZANDRA PERGEL (HUN), 27, is a former winner of the ITTF World Tour in Zagreb and Antwerp in 2012, and she is the most successful Hungarian player in the World Tour.
XING HAN (CGO), 26, is a Chinese-born Congo Brazzaville number one table tennis player. An African Games medalist and she will be competing at her second Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
IRINA CIOBANU (ROU), 21, started her rise to dominance as a junior player when she featured at the 2011 and 2013 World Junior Championship and a key member of the Romanian national team.
OLGA KULIKOVA (RUS), 22, is a winner of the 2015 Fajr Cup in Iran and an integral member of the Russian national team.
OFFIONG EDEM (NGR), 29, is a former African junior champion and Ex- African Games champion, who will featuring at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
OLUFUNKE OSHONAIKE (NGR), 40, a former African Champion and the first African female table tennis player to be competing at her sixth Olympic Games in Brazil.
SARAH HANFFOU (CMR), 29, a former French national junior player and 2010 African Champion has established herself in the continent as a skillful player.
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