The battle for individual honours at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships gets underway on Friday at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, Ghana, with players competing in the U-15 and U-19 singles events after an action-packed team competition.
The team events produced several upsets, including the early defeats of Tunisia’s top-seeded U-19 player, Wassim Essid, and Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti, leaving the race for the singles titles wide open ahead of Sunday’s finals.
Egypt’s Yara Elbadawy heads into the U-19 girls’ event as one of the favourites after an unbeaten run in the team competition, while teammates Asser Sameh and Ahmed Elsabbagh will be aiming to convert their impressive form into individual titles. Tunisia’s Ela Saidi is also expected to challenge strongly in the U-15 girls’ category.
With former champions no longer eligible because of age restrictions, this year’s tournament is guaranteed to crown new singles champions, as Africa’s rising table tennis stars battle for continental glory.
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