Egypt tops medal table at Africa Youth Table Tennis Championships

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At the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall inside Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, the continent’s brightest young talents battled across singles and doubles disciplines.

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But when the dust settled on Sunday, 3rd August, it was Egypt and Algeria who cemented their dominance, sharing eight of the ten gold medals available.

Egypt claimed five titles, Algeria secured three, while Tunisia and Nigeria earned one each.

Younes bows out with back-to-back Gold

Egypt’s Mariam Younes, one of Africa’s most consistent performers in recent youth competitions, ended her junior career in fitting fashion, defending her U-19 girls’ singles crown in commanding style.

The 18-year-old overcame compatriot Habiba Elbasoumy 4–1 in the final, adding a second straight continental title to her growing resume.

Competing in her final youth tournament, Younes was composed, clinical, and commanding, a reminder of why she has been a mainstay on the top step of the podium.

She didn’t stop there. Teaming up with Badr Mostafa, she also captured gold in the U-19 mixed doubles, defeating fellow Egyptians Yassin Gaber and Nour Zaki 3–0 in a one-sided final.

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Badr Mostafa ends Essid’s reign

If Younes was elegance, Badr Mostafa brought intensity. In a high-stakes U-19 boys’ singles final, the left-hander stunned defending champion Wassim Essid of Tunisia with a 4–1 victory. Mostafa’s performance was fearless, relentless, and emotional. After converting a match point, he leapt onto the table in celebration, a symbol of triumph and transition in African youth table tennis.

It was a symbolic passing of the torch, from one continental star to another.

Algeria’s rising force

While Egypt dominated, Algeria emerged as the tournament’s rising powerhouse, especially in the U-15 category.

In the U-15 girls’ doubles, Algerian sisters Jade and Tania Morice delivered a flawless 3–0 win over Egypt’s Farida Thabet and Hanin Elewa. Tania would go one better, defeating her own sister 3–0 in the U-15 girls’ singles final to complete a personal double.

There was redemption, too, for Bilel Zouitene, who had lost the U-15 boys’ doubles final to Egypt’s Asser Sameh and Mohammed Abdelhalim (3–1). In the singles event, however, Zouitene held his nerve in a thrilling 3–2 final to edge Sameh and claim gold for Algeria.

Tunisia, Nigeria find their spark

Tunisia’s lone gold came in the U-15 mixed doubles, where Amir Essid and Ela Saidi defeated Nigeria’s Tobi Adebakin and Aishat Rabiu 3–1 in a solid showing of tactical control and chemistry.

For Nigeria, the hosts, it was a mixed tournament, but Matthew Kuti and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai ensured the home crowd had something to celebrate. The pair stunned Tunisia’s Wassim Essid and Mohamed Khaloufi 3–1 in the U-19 boys’ doubles final, securing Nigeria’s only gold of the championship.

Egypt’s numbers, Africa’s future?

In total, Egypt’s five golds came from:
U-19 Girls’ Singles – Mariam Younes
U-19 Boys’ Singles – Badr Mostafa
U-19 Mixed Doubles – Badr Mostafa/Mariam Younes
U-19 Girls’ Doubles – Malak Abdelshakour/Nour Zaki
U-15 Boys’ Doubles – Asser Sameh/Mohammed Abdelhalim

As the dust settles in Lagos, the 2025 ITTF Africa Youth Championships will be remembered not just for the gold medals won but for the narratives that emerged, of dynasties defended, new kings crowned, and a continent’s next generation stepping boldly into the spotlight.