Excitement is brewing in the south of New Caledonia’s main island, the capital city of Noumea, when the 2024 ITTF-Oceania Olympic Singles Qualification begins on Friday, May 10.

Amidst the stunning backdrop of Noumea’s scenic beauty, players from New Zealand, Fiji, and Vanuatu will be focusing on the ultimate prize, securing a coveted spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Considered one of the most modest of all the regional and yet fiercely competitive regional and continental qualification tournaments, the ITTF Oceania Qualification promises to produce exhilarating matches, with five men and five women aiming for the sole slot in each category.

Leading the charge are New Zealand’s Alfred Dela Pena and Vanuatu’s Priscila Tommy, the top seeds, who will have to battle other stars from the region in their quest to be listed among the stars heading to the Paris Olympic Games.

Pena, a silver medallist at the 2022 ITTF Oceania Championships, is eyeing his maiden outing at the Olympic Games, but time will tell if the New Zealander can fulfil his longtime dream of lining up with the heavyweights in Paris as he will face stiff competition from his regional counterparts. With four others in the men’s singles category vying for the coveted Paris flight, Pena’s journey to Paris 2024 is no easy feat.

Meanwhile, seasoned veteran Priscila Tommy of Vanuatu, the women’s singles top seed, is no stranger to Olympic competition. With her sights set on a second Olympic appearance after her debut in 2008 at the Beijing Games, Tommy is poised to deliver another stellar performance. However, she’ll need to overcome four formidable opponents to secure her ticket to Paris.

The one-day tournament will witness the players against each other in their resolve to emerge as the winner having recorded the highest win. All eyes will be on New Caledonia as the quest for a spot in Paris 2024 gets underway. Stay updated with the results as they happen on ITTF-Oceania’s website.