By Bei Santigie T. Kamara
Seventeen-year-old table tennis star Naomi Coker has officially switched her international allegiance from England to Sierra Leone.
Coker, who progressed through England’s youth development system, enjoyed an impressive junior career. In 2023, she captured the England Cadet Girls’ Singles title, defeating top seed and doubles partner Sienna Jetha 3-0 in the final. She also won the 2023 England Cadet Girls’ Doubles title.
She has competed in the Women’s British League and faced top opponents, including Elena Todirca in 2025. Although she left England’s talent pathway at the age of 14, Coker has now chosen to represent Sierra Leone, the country of her father’s birth, embarking on a new chapter in her international career.
In 2026, Coker claimed the Sierra Leone Senior Women’s Singles National Championship, underlining her status as one of the country’s brightest table tennis prospects. She also maintains club ties with Draycott & Long Eaton Table Tennis Club in the United Kingdom.
The change of allegiance was officially confirmed by ITTF Africa and reported by table tennis news outlets on July 11, 2026. Coker is expected to make her debut for Sierra Leone at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra, Ghana.
Her participation will also mark Sierra Leone’s return to the ITTF Africa Youth Championships after several years away from the competition.