By Achore Richard
The 2026 ITTF-Africa Youth Cup came to a spectacular conclusion at the state-of-the-art Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, with Nigeria’s Kuti Matthew and Egypt’s Habiba Elbasoumy crowned the Under-19 singles champions after an unforgettable week of elite youth table tennis.
The continental showpiece, hosted by Ghana, brought together Africa’s brightest young talents for days of thrilling competition, remarkable upsets and inspiring performances.
It also reinforced Ghana’s growing reputation as one of the continent’s leading destinations for international table tennis.
Kuti Matthew produced a championship-winning display to capture the U-19 Boys’ Singles title, completing a brilliant campaign that saw him overcome some of Africa’s finest young players. His triumph highlighted Nigeria’s continued strength in the men’s youth ranks and marked a fitting reward for his consistency throughout the tournament.
In the U-19 Girls’ Singles, Egypt’s Habiba Elbasoumy once again demonstrated why she is regarded as one of Africa’s rising stars. Combining power, precision and composure, she swept aside her opponents to lift the coveted continental trophy and add another major title to Egypt’s impressive collection.
The Under-15 divisions also delivered exceptional quality. Egypt’s Sameh Asser remained unbeaten throughout the competition to secure the U-15 Boys’ Singles title with a series of dominant performances, while Tunisia’s Saidi Ela displayed maturity beyond her years to claim the U-15 Girls’ Singles championship.
Champions of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup 2026
– U-19 Boys’ Singles: 🥇 Kuti Matthew (Nigeria)
– U-19 Girls’ Singles: 🥇 Habiba Elbasoumy (Egypt)
– U-15 Boys’ Singles: 🥇 Sameh Asser (Egypt)
– U-15 Girls’ Singles: 🥇 Saidi Ela (Tunisia)
Beyond the Youth Cup, the tournament also celebrated the future of African table tennis through the ITTF Hopes Week & Challenge Africa 2026 (U-12), where Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira emerged victorious in the boys’ event, while Egypt’s Zeina Ayma Mohammed claimed the girls’ title.
The excitement continued during the ITTF Africa Youth Championships, where Egypt underlined its continental dominance by capturing the U-15 Boys’, U-15 Girls’ and U-19 Girls’ team titles. Nigeria secured the U-19 Boys’ Team championship after another outstanding campaign.
One of the defining moments of the championships belonged to host nation Ghana. Home favourites Israel Aklie and Joanita Borteye thrilled the local fans by winning the U-15 Mixed Doubles title, ending Ghana’s 39-year wait for continental youth gold in table tennis.
Their historic achievement will remain one of the tournament’s most cherished memories.
The championships also produced several outstanding doubles champions. Egypt’s Abdelmalik Elsayed and Farida Thabet won the U-19 Mixed Doubles title, Nigeria’s Joseph Marvelous and Joseph Victor captured the U-15 Boys’ Doubles crown, while Egypt’s Joumana Abdelshakour and Mahgoub Daleela triumphed in the U-15 Girls’ Doubles.
Tunisia’s Wassim Essid and Aidle Youssef claimed the U-19 Boys’ Doubles title, with Egypt’s Yara Elbadawy and Habiba Elbasoumy winning the U-19 Girls’ Doubles championship.
The singles champions at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships included Uganda’s Patience Anyango (U-15 Girls), Egypt’s Sameh Asser (U-15 Boys), Algeria’s Tania Morice (U-19 Girls) and Tunisia’s Wassim Essid (U-19 Boys).
As the curtains fall on an extraordinary celebration of African youth table tennis, the 2026 edition will be remembered for its world-class organisation, electrifying matches and the emergence of a new generation of champions.
For Ghana, successfully hosting the continent’s finest young players at the magnificent Borteyman Sports Complex represents another milestone in the nation’s growing stature within international table tennis.
For the athletes, Accra 2026 will forever be remembered as the stage where dreams were realised, history was made and the future stars of African table tennis announced themselves to the world.