From the WTT Contender Lagos to the African Youth tournaments, Wassim Essid’s extended stay in Nigeria was always going to be about legacy.
And as he wrapped up his time on Nigerian soil, Africa’s top-ranked male youth player ensured he left with silverware in hand.
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The Tunisian standout delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Nigeria’s Muiz Adegoke to claim the boys’ U-19 singles title at the inaugural ITTF Africa Youth Cup, tagged the BRF Cup, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium.
It was the perfect response to his earlier disappointment in the ITTF Africa Youth Championships, where he narrowly missed out on retaining his title, falling 1-4 to Egypt’s Badr Mostafa in the final. But Essid bounced back like a true champion, first surviving a nervy 4-3 quarterfinal against Nigeria’s Abdulbasit Abdulfatai before cruising to the top of the podium.
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“This win means a lot. It’s a great way to finish this journey in Nigeria,” Essid noted after the final, reflecting on a two-week stretch that began on 22 July with the WTT Contender Lagos and climaxed with the BRF Cup on 5 August.
Egypt and Algeria dominate the Girls’ events
Egypt’s Mariam Younes continued her unstoppable run in Africa’s youth table tennis circuit, clinching the girls’ U-19 singles title with a no-nonsense 4-0 win over compatriot Nour Zaki.
The triumph adds to her successful title defence at the just-concluded Youth Championships, reaffirming her position as the continent’s most formidable teenage talent.
Over in the U-15 category, Algeria’s Tania Morice etched her name into the history books by winning the first-ever girls’ U-15 singles title at the Africa Youth Cup. Morice, who already owned the U-15 crown from the Youth Championships, pulled off a thrilling comeback from two sets down to defeat Uganda’s Jemimah Nakawala 3-2 (5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-6).
(PHOTO CREDIT: ITTF Africa Media)
Uganda rises in the Boys’ U-15
Uganda’s rising stock in African table tennis was underlined in the boys’ U-15 singles final, where Joseph Sebatindira took down fellow Ugandan Sharif Nsereko in straight sets (3-0). It was a clean, clinical finish that capped a promising outing for Uganda’s next generation.
Africa’s future on display in Lagos
The BRF Cup drew 76 players (45 boys and 31 girls) from 14 African countries, each representing the growing depth of talent shaping the future of the sport on the continent. With full endorsement from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), performances from the event will impact global youth rankings starting next week.
READ ALSO: INTERVIEW: Why Nigeria hosted five table tennis tourneys in five weeks — NTTF Vice President
Legacy of Lagos: From vision to vanguard
The roots of this tournament go back to 2013, when then-Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, sanctioned the launch of the Lagos International Sports Classics, with table tennis as a flagship sport. That singular decision positioned Lagos as Africa’s de facto table tennis capital.
Today, the city hosts the ITTF Challenge Series and the WTT Contender Lagos, now in its third edition, with global participation and acclaim. Fittingly, the trophy awarded at the Africa Youth Cup is named the BRF Cup, in honour of Fashola’s enduring legacy and vision for sports development across the continent.
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