Egypt emerged as the dominant force in the team events at the 2026 ITTF-Africa Youth Championships in Accra, winning three of the four titles on offer.
The North African side claimed the U-15 Boys, U-15 Girls and U-19 Girls team championships at the Borteyman Sports Complex, underlining its strength in youth table tennis across the continent.
Nigeria, however, prevented an Egyptian clean sweep by successfully defending its U-19 Boys team title after staging a remarkable comeback against Egypt in a thrilling final.
The team events brought together some of Africa’s leading young table tennis players in the U-15 and U-19 categories, with the competition producing a series of closely contested encounters.
Ghana also made a strong impression on home soil, securing a bronze medal in the U-15 Boys category in one of its best performances at the championships.
The Ghanaian team recovered from a group-stage defeat to eventual champions Egypt by defeating Benin to advance to the knockout stage.
The hosts continued their impressive run with a narrow quarter-final victory over Tunisia to reach the semi-finals.
However, Ghana’s campaign ended at the last-four stage after a close defeat to Nigeria, leaving the team with a bronze medal.
The performance was seen as an encouraging sign of the progress being made in Ghana’s youth table tennis development.
Although Ghana’s other teams did not reach the medal positions, they gained valuable experience competing against some of the continent’s strongest sides.
With the team competitions now concluded, attention shifts to the doubles, mixed doubles and singles events, where players will continue their pursuit of individual continental honours.
The opening phase of the championships has already highlighted the growing depth of youth table tennis in Africa and the emergence of a new generation of talented players.
