As anticipation builds for the first Olympic event ever to be staged on African soil, 15 of the continent’s most promising young table tennis players have secured places at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 in Senegal.
The athletes are among the 64 competitors selected for the table tennis event, which will take place from 31 October to 5 November during the Games scheduled for 31 October to 13 November 2026 in Dakar.
A total of 41 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from across the five continents will be represented in the table tennis competition, with 32 male and 32 female players set to battle for honours in the Senegalese capital.
Table tennis at Dakar 2026 will feature three medal events: men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed doubles. The singles competitions will each feature 32 players, while 23 NOCs will be represented in the mixed doubles event. Every mixed doubles pair will comprise athletes already competing in the singles events, ensuring a demanding schedule for many competitors.
Africa’s representatives reflect the continent’s growing strength in the sport and will be led by Algeria’s Aylan Goudjil in the boys’ category.
Joining him are Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti, Benin Republic’s Ganiou Abdourahaman, Egypt’s Abdelmalk Elsayed, Senegal’s Amador Ferrer, Tunisia’s Youssef Aidli and Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira.
In the girls’ event, Nigeria’s Favour Ojo headlines a strong African contingent that also includes Algeria’s Tania Morice, Egypt’s Yara Elbadawy, Ghana’s Joanita Borteye, Madagascar’s Tina Andriantahina, Senegal’s Marieme Diallo, Tunisia’s Ela Saidi and Uganda’s Jemimah Nakawala.
According to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the player list highlights the sport’s expanding global reach. Traditional table tennis powerhouses such as China, Japan, Korea Republic, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, China, Germany and France will compete alongside emerging nations including Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Luxembourg, Madagascar and Puerto Rico.
The athletes selected for Dakar 2026 were born between 2009 and 2014, underlining the Youth Olympic Games’ role as a showcase for the next generation of international stars.