2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships Officially Launched in Accra as Ghana Eyes Continental Success
The 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships have officially been launched in Accra, with Ghana ready to welcome the continent’s brightest young table tennis talents for a week-long festival of competition and development.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Hopes Week & Challenge and the ITTF Africa Youth Championships are taking place from July 13 to 18, 2026, at the Dome, University of Ghana, Legon, and the Borteyman Sports Complex.
As hosts, the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has unveiled a strong nine-player squad for the championships. The girls’ team comprises Borteye, Emmanuella Yaa Kyere, Emerald Bortey, Blessing Labanti, and Jessica Droh, while the boys’ team features Aklie, 2023 National U21 Discovery Champion Richard Ofori, Michael Mensah, and Hamza Issah.
Speaking at the official launch on Tuesday, GTTA President Mawuko Afadzinu expressed confidence in Ghana’s readiness to stage a successful championship and reiterated his ambitious vision for the sport.
We want to make table tennis the biggest sport in Ghana apart from football, and we believe we can get there,” Afadzinu declared.
He described the event as a unique opportunity for Ghanaian players to compete against Africa’s best while gaining valuable experience, building friendships, and learning important life skills beyond the sport.
“The next generation of table tennis players in Ghana will benefit, and it will go a long way in the progression of the sport,” he said.
Afadzinu also highlighted the scale of the event, describing it as a “triple delight” featuring the ITTF Hopes Week, the Africa Youth Challenge, and the prestigious Africa Cup Tournament, which will conclude the week-long programme.
“This is the triple delight—the Hopes Week, Africa Youth Challenge, and Africa Cup Tournament. I entreat every lover of table tennis to come to Borteyman and witness the action. It is going to be a true table tennis festival in Ghana,” he stated.
The championship has attracted participants from 22 African countries, with approximately 300 players expected to compete across the various events.
Ahead of the competition, the young athletes participated in intensive training sessions at the Dome in Legon under the supervision of experienced ITTF coaches Michael Anderson, David Senyo, and Eva Jeler, assisted by Ghanaian coaches.
Coach Eva Jeler praised the educational value of the sport, stressing that table tennis helps young people develop not only technical ability but also social and mental skills that are essential in everyday life.
Assistant coach Cynthia Kwabi of the Ghana Immigration Service and the Golden Loopers Table Tennis Club described the training sessions as rewarding, saying she had learned a great deal while mentoring the young players.
She expressed her gratitude to the ITTF for the opportunity to be part of the programme, adding that working with the talented youngsters had been an exciting and enriching experience.
With Ghana hosting one of the continent’s biggest youth table tennis events, the tournament is expected to provide a significant boost to the development of the sport while showcasing the country’s ability to organize world-class international competitions.