Ajibade Olusesan 
African table tennis stars are set to make their mark at the WTT US Smash 2025, with Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo and Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali leading the continent’s campaign in the preliminary round of the prestigious tournament.
Running from July 3 to 13 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, the 11-day event is the first WTT Grand Smash to be held on American soil and features a prize pool of $1.55 million.
Omotayo, the 2019 African Games champion, returns to international action with a challenging opener against wildcard entrant Victor Xie of the United States. Currently ranked 162nd in the world, the Nigerian will rely on his experience and ranking edge over Xie, who is ranked 777th globally, when they clash on Friday, July 4.
Now based between the United States and France, Omotayo faces a difficult path to the main draw, where the world’s elite await. His performance will be closely watched as Africa seeks to secure representation among the tournament’s top contenders.
Joining him in the men’s singles preliminary round is Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali, who will face Slovenia’s Deni Kozul. Also in action are El-Beiali’s compatriot Mahmoud Helmy, who takes on American Ved Sheth; Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa, who will battle Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson; and Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou, who meets Spain’s Juan Perez.
In the women’s singles, Egypt’s Yousra Helmy stands as the sole African representative in the preliminary round and will face American Mandy Yu.
Top African players, including Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Omar Assar, have already secured direct entry into the men’s singles main draw. On the women’s side, Egypt’s Hana Goda, Dina Meshref, and Mariam Alhodaby will also begin their campaigns in the main draw.
Excitement is building among the global stars ahead of the tournament. China’s Wang Chuqin, the reigning men’s singles world champion, expressed his anticipation, noting: “Las Vegas often hosts world-class sports events. I’m looking forward to showcasing myself in such a unique atmosphere where sports and entertainment meet.”
Sweden’s Anton Källberg shared a similar sentiment: “There’s so much buzz about visiting Vegas, so I just want to see and feel all of it.”
American star Lily Zhang, a frequent visitor to the city, added, “Las Vegas has everything — it hosts all the big events and has glitz and glamour.”
Fellow American Kanak Jha remarked, “There’s no city in the world like it. So many experiences, great vibes, and stimulation.”
As the WTT US Smash 2025 gets underway, African players will be aiming to make a strong impression and advance to the main draw, where the world’s best will compete for glory in one of table tennis’ most exciting arenas.
