ITTF Africa Youth Cup Begins in Ghana with Continental Honours At Stake

ITTF Africa Youth Cup Begins in Ghana with Continental Honours at Stake

By Niyi Busari 

The 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Cup gets underway on Tuesday at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, Ghana, with the continent's brightest young table tennis players set to battle for continental honours over two days, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Running from July 28 to 29, the tournament follows the successful staging of the ITTF Africa Youth Championships at the same venue and promises another showcase of emerging talent from across the continent.

This year's competition has been named the Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) Cup in recognition of the former Lagos State Governor's significant contribution to the growth of table tennis in Africa. Fashola played a pivotal role in the sport's resurgence through the launch of the Lagos Table Tennis Classics in 2013, an initiative that has helped raise the profile of the game across the continent.

Beyond the race for medals, the tournament is designed to promote healthy competition while identifying the next generation of African stars capable of making an impact on the international stage.

Defending boys' U-19 singles champion Wassim Essid of Tunisia headlines the field and will be aiming to retain his continental title. Algeria's Tania Morice and Bilel Zouitene, who captured the U-15 crowns last year, step up to the U-19 category seeking success in a higher age group, while a new crop of talents prepares to contest the U-15 titles.

Tournament organisers have named Essid and Egypt's Yara Elbadawy as the top seeds in the U-19 division. Uganda's Joseph Sebatindira and Tunisia's Ela Saidi enter the competition as the top-ranked players in the boys' and girls' U-15 categories, respectively.

The boys' U-19 singles is expected to be one of the most fiercely contested events, with Nigeria's Matthew Kuti arriving in excellent form after inspiring his country to victory over Egypt in the team event at the recently concluded Africa Youth Championships.

In the girls' U-19 competition, Algerian sisters Jade and Tania Morice are among the leading contenders and will look to challenge a strong Egyptian contingent for the title.

Attention will also be on Egyptian sensation Asser Sameh in the boys' U-15 event. The youngster heads into the tournament unbeaten in singles competition at the Africa Youth Championships and is widely regarded as one of the favourites for the title.

Meanwhile, Tunisia's Ela Saidi, the top seed in the girls' U-15 division, will be aiming to justify her ranking as she seeks continental glory in Accra.

With Africa's finest young talents assembled in Ghana, the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Cup promises two days of high-quality competition and an opportunity for the continent's next generation of stars to announce themselves on the big stage.