Former Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing and ex-Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, will be the distinguished guest at the grand finale of the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Cup, scheduled for the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, Ghana, on Wednesday.
The two-day tournament is named the Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) Cup in recognition of Mr. Fashola’s pivotal role in championing the renaissance of table tennis in Africa, notably through the launch of the Lagos Table Tennis Classics in 2013.
Mr. Fashola will be joined by dignitaries, including the Executive Committee of the African Table Tennis Federation led by President Wahid Oshodi, to cheer on young talents from across the continent.
The competition aims to spotlight emerging talents and foster healthy rivalry among Africa’s youth, with the long-term vision of elevating the event into a global tournament.
Top seeds set for battle
Wassim Essid of Tunisia, last year’s U-19 boys’ singles champion, returns as one of the favourites. Algeria’s Tania Morice and Bilel Zouitene, former U-15 champions, will now compete in the U-19 division.
Top seeds include Tunisia’s Mr. Essid and Egypt’s Yara Elbadawy in the U-19 category, while Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira and Tunisia’s Ela Saidi lead the U-15 rankings.
The boys’ U-19 singles event promises to be particularly competitive, with Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti in impressive form after leading the country to victory over top-seeded Egypt at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships.
Algerian sisters target U-19 title
In the girls’ U-19 category, Algerian siblings Jade Morice and Miss Tania Morice are expected to mount a strong challenge against the Egyptian favourites.
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