Fatimo Bello Visa Denial: Nigerian table tennis star misses ITTF World Cup in Macao due to visa issues. Chinese Embassy in Lagos denies her application, despite qualification

Nigerian table tennis star, Fatimo Bello, has been forced to withdraw from the ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, after her visa application was denied by the Chinese Embassy in Lagos.

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This unfortunate development means Bello will miss her highly anticipated World Cup debut, despite qualifying as one of Africa’s top representatives.

A representative of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) confirmed the visa denial, stating that Bello, who is based in Italy, had earned her place in the tournament by finishing among the top four in the Women’s event at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup in Tunis.

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has acted swiftly to replace Bello, selecting Hong Kong’s Chengzhu Zhu as her replacement. Bello will now have to wait until at least 2026 for another opportunity to compete in the prestigious World Cup.

This setback leaves Nigeria’s team with only Aruna Quadri representing the nation in the competition, which runs from April 14 to April 20, 2025.

The visa denial is a significant blow to Bello and Nigerian table tennis, denying her the chance to showcase her talent on the global stage.

The incident highlights the challenges faced by athletes in securing visas for international competitions, particularly when dealing with tight timelines and complex application processes.