Egypt claims three team titles as Nigeria retains U19 Boys crown at 2026 ITTF-Africa Youth Championships

The curtain came down on the team events of the 2026 ITTF-Africa Youth Championships in Accra with Egypt underlining its dominance by capturing three of the four titles on offer, while Nigeria successfully defended the Under 19 Boys Team crown after a dramatic final at the Borteyman Sports Complex.

Egypt emerged champions in the Under 15 Boys, Under 15 Girls and Under 19 Girls team events, reaffirming the country’s status as one of Africa’s leading forces in youth table tennis. Nigeria prevented a clean sweep by producing a spirited comeback to defeat Egypt in the Under 19 Boys final and retain the title.

The team event brought together the continent’s best young talents in the Under 15 and Under 19 categories, with several exciting contests highlighting the depth of emerging table tennis talent across Africa.

Host nation Ghana also had encouraging moments during the team championships, with the Under 15 Boys team delivering one of the country’s standout performances. After opening their campaign with a defeat to eventual champions Egypt in the group stage, the young Ghanaians bounced back with an impressive victory over Benin to secure qualification to the knockout stage.

The team continued its impressive run by edging Tunisia in a closely contested quarter final before eventually settling for the bronze medal after a narrow semi final defeat to Nigeria. The podium finish marked a commendable achievement for the hosts against some of the continent’s strongest youth teams.

Ghana’s remaining teams also displayed determination and valuable fighting spirit throughout the competition despite falling short of the medal positions, gaining priceless experience against Africa’s elite young players.

With the team events concluded, attention now shifts to the doubles, mixed doubles and singles events, where athletes will battle for honours in these events as the championship continues in Accra.

The performances witnessed during the team competition have once again demonstrated the growing standard of youth table tennis across Africa while providing another important platform for the continent’s rising stars to showcase their talent on the international stage.

By Apelles Amui Addy, Ghana Table Tennis Association