The 2026 ITTF-Africa Hopes Week and Challenge climaxed in Accra, Ghana, with Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira and Egypt’s Zeina Ayman Mohamed emerging as the top award winners in the boys’ and girls’ categories, respectively.
The six-day continental development program brought together some of Africa’s brightest young table tennis talents, providing a platform for player assessment, intensive training, talent identification, and knowledge sharing among coaches and athletes.
At the end of the competition, Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira claimed the top award in the boys’ category, followed by Nigeria’s Ayoola Umar Olawale in second place and Egypt’s Adam Aly Lasheen in third. Ghana’s Ransford Antwi placed fourth among the boys’ award winners.
In the girls’ category, Egypt’s Zeina Ayman Mohamed emerged as the overall winner, while Uganda’s Patience Anyango and Tunisia’s Ritej Cherif shared the second position. Nigeria’s Elizabeth Emelike placed fourth.
The event recorded participation from 12 African countries, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia, Togo, Zimbabwe, Benin, Botswana, and host nation Ghana, with 17 boys and 16 girls, bringing the total number of players to 33.
A total of 23 coaches and officials participated in the program, offering technical guidance and support to the young athletes throughout the week. The coaching team featured representatives from across the continent, including coaches from South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia, Togo, Zimbabwe, Benin, Botswana, and Ghana.
The program also featured the presence of key ITTF officials, including Eva Jeler, ITTF Africa Hopes Programme Manager; Mikael Anderson, ITTF Sports Development Director; and David Senyo Ahiaba, 2026 ITTF Africa Hopes Coordinator, who played important roles in ensuring the successful delivery of the continental development initiative.
Chairman of the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), Mawuko Afadzinu, was present at the closing ceremony, where he joined other dignitaries, including Dr. Alex Ackon, a member of the ITTF Health Committee, in presenting medals and awards to the outstanding players who distinguished themselves throughout the competition.
The successful conclusion of the event further highlights the commitment of ITTF-Africa in nurturing young talents and strengthening the future of table tennis on the continent.
Attention now shifts focus to the ITTF-Africa Youth Championships, scheduled for July 20 to 27 in Accra, where Africa’s best under-15 and under-19 players will compete for continental honors before the ITTF-Africa Youth Cup follows from July 28 to 29.
By Apelles Amui Addy, Ghana Table Tennis Association
