The three-day competition, which begins on Thursday, May 16, at the BK Arena, will see 26 men and 24 women from 15 African countries vying for six coveted spots – three men and three women – to represent the continent at the prestigious Olympic Games.
Omotayo, who made his debut at Tokyo 2020, aims to return to the biggest sports fiesta in the world. The 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist is expected to seal his place in Paris on the second day of the tournament, May 17, when the finalists in the men’s and women’s events will secure their slots. However, he will have to be at his best against strong contenders like youngster Wassim Essid of Tunisia, Cameroon’s Ylane Batix, Madagascar’s Fabio Rakotoarimanana, experienced Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu, and Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa.
On the other hand, Edem, a bronze medalist at the 2023 African Games, is eager to make her fifth Olympic Games appearance, having competed at Athens 2004, London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. The former African Games champion will face stiff competition from 2010 African Champion Sarah Hanffou of Cameroon, who is aiming for her third Olympic appearance after featuring at London 2012 and Tokyo 2020. Tunisia’s Fadwa Garci and other youngsters from Madagascar and Mauritius are also expected to challenge Edem and Hanffou for the coveted Paris spots.
With their sights set on the Olympic dream, Omotayo and Edem will look to draw upon their experience and recent success at the 2024 ITTF Africa Cup, where they both medaled, as they strive to secure their places in the prestigious Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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