Africa’s Young Table Tennis Stars Crowned as ITTF Africa Youth Championships Conclude in Ghana
The 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships came to a successful conclusion at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, with Africa’s brightest young table tennis talents battling for continental honours in the singles events.
The week-long championship, hosted by Ghana, brought together the continent’s top junior players, who displayed exceptional skill, determination and sportsmanship throughout the competition.
In the U15 Boys’ Singles event, Egypt’s Sameh Asser emerged as the continental champion after an impressive campaign. Nigeria’s Umar Ayoola claimed the silver medal, while Samson Joshua of Nigeria and Tunisia’s Amine Amori shared the bronze medals.
Uganda celebrated success in the U15 Girls’ Singles through Patience Anyango, who captured the gold medal with an outstanding performance. Tunisia’s Ela Saidi finished with silver, while Egypt’s Malak Zaki and Nigeria’s Aishat Rabiu settled for bronze.
Tunisia dominated the U19 Boys’ Singles as Wassim Essid secured the coveted gold medal. Egypt’s Gaber Yassin finished second to take silver, with Tunisia’s Amir Essid and Egypt’s Abdulmalik Elsayed earning bronze medals.
In the U19 Girls’ Singles category, Algeria’s Tania Morice claimed the continental title after a brilliant display. South Africa’s Rochica Sonday secured the silver medal, while Uganda’s Jemimah Nakawala and Egypt’s Habiba Elbasoumy completed the podium with bronze medals.
Beyond the medals, the championships marked another significant milestone for Ghana as the country successfully hosted one of Africa’s premier youth table tennis competitions at the world-class Borteyman Sports Complex. The event showcased Ghana’s growing capacity to stage major international sporting competitions while providing local players with invaluable exposure against the continent’s elite.
The successful hosting of the championships is expected to further boost the development of table tennis in Ghana, inspire more young athletes to take up the sport and strengthen the country’s reputation as a destination for major international sporting events.
For the participating athletes, the tournament served as an important platform to gain valuable international experience while earning crucial ranking points and preparing for future global competitions.
U15 Boys’ Singles
- Gold: Sameh Asser (Egypt)
- Silver: Umar Ayoola (Nigeria)
- Bronze: Samson Joshua (Nigeria) and Amine Amori (Tunisia)
U15 Girls’ Singles
- Gold: Patience Anyango (Uganda)
- Silver: Ela Saidi (Tunisia)
- Bronze: Malak Zaki (Egypt) and Aishat Rabiu (Nigeria)
U19 Boys’ Singles
- Gold: Wassim Essid (Tunisia)
- Silver: Gaber Yassin (Egypt)
- Bronze: Amir Essid (Tunisia) and Abdulmalik Elsayed (Egypt)
U19 Girls’ Singles
- Gold: Tania Morice (Algeria)
- Silver: Rochica Sonday (South Africa)
- Bronze: Jemimah Nakawala (Uganda) and Habiba Elbasoumy (Egypt).
