South Africa is currently hosting the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Durban, the first time the event is being held in Africa in 84 years. The first players to step out on Table Number one were South Africa's very own Dean Levy and Senegal's Ibrahima Diaw.
Table Tennis Championhip returns to Africa
Nigeria's Quadri Aruna competes during the table tennis men's singles third round match against Brazil's Gustavo Tsuboi at the 2020 Summer Olympics
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AP Photo
The Senegalese star moved to the second round after dominating the court and winning the event opener over the local player 4-0 in less than 19 minutes.
The only other time the championship has taken place on African soil was in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in 1939, the last major international sporting event to take place before the outbreak of World War II.
Today, the Egypt Cup donated that year by King Farouk is still presented at the tournament to the host nation of the next World Championships, a symbol of a world united around table tennis.