Singles competition starts today, July 24, at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra as the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships enter their final stretch after four days of team action.
Quick facts
- Singles begin on July 24 at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra.
- The championships run from July 20 to July 27.
- Events include Cadet (Under-15) and Junior (Under-19) singles, doubles and team competitions.
- Team winners and individual finalists qualify for the World Youth Table Tennis Championships in Türkiye in November.
- Team finals were played on Wednesday at the same venue.
The overall tournament schedule spans July 20 to 27, with competition organised by the Ghana Table Tennis Association under the African Table Tennis Federation. Cadet and Junior categories will feature singles, doubles and team disciplines, with qualification stakes for the World Youth Table Tennis Championships in Türkiye set for November.
Team finals set the tone
Team finals took place on Wednesday at the Borteyman Sports Complex. In the boys’ Under-19 final, Nigeria’s Quadri Atunwon sparked a remarkable comeback after the team fell 0-2 behind, eventually securing a 3-2 triumph over Egypt to retain the title.
Within that deciding match sequence, Sultan Agunbiade and Matthew Kuti both delivered key wins. Kuti had earlier suffered defeat to Yassin Gaber, but bounced back to take the crucial moments needed for Nigeria to complete the turnaround.
Egypt dominated several other team finals. The country took the boys’ and girls’ Under-15 team titles and also kept hold of the Under-19 girls’ crown. A 3-0 final victory over Nigeria was highlighted through wins by Ahmed Elsabbagh and Asser Sameh.
Singles draw already raising eyebrows
Now that the team stage is done, attention has shifted to the singles draw, where organisers and players have pointed to early-round shocks as evidence that seeding may not carry as much weight as expected. That message has been reinforced by the presence of multiple challengers in the girls’ events.
Algeria’s Jade Morice and Tania Morice are among those seen as capable of making serious progress in the girls’ categories. Across the age groups, Egypt and Nigeria are still viewed as the countries to beat, based on their performances during the team competition.
Play continues through Sunday, July 27, when champions in both age categories will be crowned in the singles events.
