Table Tennis: Ex-Governor Fashola hails Africa’s rising stars
Former Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria, Babatunde Raji Fashola has praised the outstanding performances at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Cup, describing the tournament as a vivid showcase of Africa’s abundant sporting talent.
Fashola, who was the special guest at the grand finale held at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, said the event highlighted the continent’s rich human resources in sports.
As Governor of Lagos, he supported the launch of the Lagos Table Tennis Classic, which later evolved into the Nigeria Open and is now the globally recognized WTT Contender Lagos.
Fashola said: “I am particularly thrilled by the display of these young talents. It shows that our continent is rich in human resources when it comes to sports. Looking at what happened in Accra, I could see raw talents that only need refining to become world-class.
“I must commend the leadership of ITTF Africa led by Wahid Oshodi for putting up a good show for the world to see, and I hope this can be replicated in other sports.”
Fashola, a former Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing, was recognized during the tournament for his contributions to the resurgence of table tennis in Africa.
Emphasizing Africa’s youthful population, Fashola urged leaders to make conscious investments in sports development.
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He continued: “Looking at Africa’s strength as the continent with the youngest people in the world, investing in sport will help us immensely.
“These young people can earn a lot from sports. As we know, sports is now a trillion-dollar industry globally. If we deliberately invest in grassroots sports development, we can truly benefit as a continent.”
He called on policymakers to view sports not merely as recreation but as a money-spinning industry capable of lifting Africa’s fortunes.
Fashola is a passionate Sports lover, he is a life-long Manchester United supporter.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Table Tennis rave of the moment, Mathew Kuti won his first continental title in the boys’ U-19 singles at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Cup.
For years, Kuti had chased glory without success, but on July 29 at the Borteyman Sports Complex, he delivered a performance that silenced doubts.
Facing compatriot Sultan Agunbiade in the final, Kuti’s 4–1 victory was more than a win—it was a statement. His journey to the title was marked by vengeance: earlier in the semifinals, he avenged his painful quarterfinal exit at the Africa Youth Championships by overpowering Egypt’s Abdelmalk Elsayed 4–2.
Agunbiade’s own path was equally dramatic. Drawn against Tunisia’s top seed and defending champion, Wassim Essid, Agunbiade stunned the crowd with a blistering 3–0 start. Though Essid clawed back a game, the Nigerian sealed the 4–1 victory, proving that the balance of power in African youth table tennis is shifting.
In the girls’ U-19 singles, Egypt’s Habiba Elbasoumy emerged as the continent’s new queen, defeating Algeria’s Jade Morice 4–1.
The semifinal had already promised a fresh champion after top seed Yara Elbadawy bowed out in the quarters, leaving Elbasoumy and Morice to battle for supremacy.
The U-15 girls’ singles brought another tale of redemption.
Tunisia’s Ela Saidi, who had narrowly lost 3–2 to Uganda’s Patience Anyango at the Youth Championships, returned with fire in her eyes. This time, she left no room for doubt, sweeping Anyango aside 3–0 in a dominant display that crowned her the new African U-15 champion.
