ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the history of ping-pong in the colony with a focus on Lagos, the ethos of sport in Nigeria after World War II, and how youths in the city used table tennis as an alternative to the “muscular citizenship” espoused by white colonial officials, British companies, and Nigerian elders and elites. It describes new ground by looking at youth, leisure, and masculinity outside of labor by focusing on the ways that youths navigated post–World War II urban Africa through sport. Ping-pong was surely enjoyable, and thus for many youths the ping-pong table was a popular space in which to gather and converse. Ping-pong allowed smaller young boys and men a space to compete and achieve fame by defeating larger, stronger boys and men in a society that valorized muscles, strength, and sporting prowess. The main purpose of the clubs was to occupy young boys’ leisure time, leading to useful pursuits, chief among which was access to sports.
