Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the 2026 WTT Contender Lagos, Adesoji Tayo, has promised players and fans an unforgettable experience when the tournament serves off from May 19 to 24 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

Top table tennis nations including Japan, South Korea, Germany and France will headline the elite field expected at the tournament, which is one of the 10 WTT Contender Series events scheduled for 2026.

Players from Denmark, the USA, India, Portugal, Romania, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Belgium, Canada, Togo, the Netherlands, Ghana, Wales, Egypt, Italy, Chile, Slovenia and hosts Nigeria are also expected to compete for the $100,000 prize purse.

Tayo reaffirmed Lagos’ readiness to host one of the biggest events on the World Table Tennis calendar, insisting that the city would once again deliver a vibrant atmosphere for athletes and spectators.

According to Tayo, the tournament has continued to establish itself as a major showcase for elite table tennis on the continent while boosting Nigeria’s image on the global sporting stage.

“We are excited to host this prestigious event, one that not only highlights elite table tennis in Africa and beyond but also underscores Nigeria’s growing influence on the global sporting stage. Coming on the heels of the centenary anniversary of table tennis in London, Lagos is proud to welcome athletes eager to compete with passion and precision,” he added.

• Flick

FC Barcelona have reached a full agreement with manager Hansi Flick over a new contract extension that will keep the German coach at the club until 2028 following their dramatic La Liga title triumph.

The agreement comes less than 24 hours after Barcelona sealed their 29th Spanish league title with a commanding 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou.

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres secured the crucial El Clasico win, handing Barcelona an unassailable 14-point lead with three games remaining.

The victory completed another remarkable domestic campaign under Flick, who has quickly transformed Barcelona into one of Europe’s most exciting attacking sides since taking charge.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele was on Monday named the Ligue 1 player of the year for the second year running.

Dembele led the club to the brink of a 14th French title and the Champions League final.

The 28-year-old becomes just the fifth player to win back-to-back awards, the last being Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2014.

Dembele last year succeeded Kylian Mbappe who won the prize five times in a row before departing for Real Madrid.

It’s an individual trophy but all the individual trophies I’ve won are thanks to this team,” Dembele said.

The forward retained the honour despite having had an injury-plagued season.

He has started just nine matches in Ligue 1, notching up 960 minutes of gametime, compared to 20 starts and 1,736 minutes last season.

Despite the reduced time on the pitch, Demebele has scored 10 goals and six assists — still down on the 21 and eight he achieved last year.