Essid, Sebatindira, Morice, Younes Emerge Champions of Maiden ITTF Africa Youth Cup

Tunisian, Wassim Essid ensured he left Nigeria with silverware after clinching the boys’ U-19 singles title at the inaugural ITTF Africa Youth Cup, delivering a commanding 4-0 victory over Nigeria’s Muiz Adegoke at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium. 

Despite falling short in his bid to retain the ITTF Africa Youth Championships title, losing 1-4 to Egypt’s Badr Mostafa in the final, Essid, Africa’s top-ranked male youth player, bounced back with a dominant performance. His path to the title included a hard-fought 4-3 quarter-final win over Nigeria’s Abdulbasit Abdulfatai.

Reflecting on his journey, Essid described the win as a fitting conclusion to his extended stay in Nigeria, which began with the WTT Contender Lagos (July 22–26) and continued through the African Youth tournaments (July 27–August 5).

Egypt’s Mariam Younes added another accolade to her growing list, claiming the girls’ U-19 singles title with a decisive 4-0 win over compatriot Nour Zaki. This victory comes on the heels of her successful title defence at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships.

Algeria’s Tania Morice added to her title in Lagos after winning the first-ever girls’ U-15 singles title at the ITTF Africa Youth Cup. Morice, who had already secured the U-15 title at the Youth Championships, staged a remarkable comeback from 0-2 down to defeat Uganda’s Jemimah Nakawala 3-2 (5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-6).

In the boys’ U-15 singles final, Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira emerged victorious with a straight-sets 3-0 win over fellow countryman Sharif Nsereko, highlighting Uganda’s growing presence in youth table tennis.

The tournament featured 76 players, 45 boys and 31 girls from 14 countries, all competing to shape the future of African table tennis. Fully endorsed by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the event will contribute to players’ official ITTF rankings next week.

The roots of table tennis development in Africa trace back to 2013, when then Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, approved the hosting of the Lagos International Sports Classics, with table tennis as a flagship event. This visionary move laid the foundation for Lagos to become a global hub for the sport, now hosting the ITTF Challenge Series and the WTT Contender Lagos, currently in its third edition.

In recognition of Fashola’s pivotal role in advancing sports development across Africa, the tournament’s trophy has been named the BRF Cup, celebrating his enduring legacy and commitment to youth and sports.