Post a comment 
Naomi Coker, a former English youth table tennis champion, has officially chosen to represent Sierra Leone in international competition, honouring her Sierra Leonean father by switching her sporting allegiance ahead of the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra, Ghana.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa has confirmed that the 17-year-old will make her debut for Sierra Leone at the continental youth championship, marking a significant milestone in both her sporting career and the country’s return to Africa’s premier youth table tennis tournament.
Coker, who rose through England’s youth table tennis ranks, was regarded as one of the country’s most promising young talents. In 2023, she won both the England Cadet National Singles and Cadet National Doubles titles, establishing herself as a standout performer in English youth table tennis.
Despite her success in England, Coker decided to pursue her international future with Sierra Leone, the homeland of her father. She disclosed that the decision followed her departure from England’s talent development pathway at the age of 14, paving the way for a new chapter representing her father’s country.
Her switch in allegiance is expected to strengthen Sierra Leone’s national youth table tennis team as it returns to the ITTF Africa Youth Championships after a prolonged absence from the competition.
Coker’s debut is also seen as a proud moment for Sierra Leonean sports, as the nation welcomes an accomplished young athlete whose decision reflects both her family heritage and commitment to contributing to the development of table tennis in her father’s homeland.
The 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra will provide the first opportunity for Naomi Coker to compete under the Sierra Leonean flag, with expectations high that her experience and achievements will boost the country’s performance on the continental stage.
