18-year-old Nigerian sensational left-hand table tennis player, Taiwo Mati is set to miss the upcoming 2023 ITTF Africa Youth Championship scheduled for July in Morroco due to unforeseen circumstances, ITTF Africa confirmed.
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Mati who is seen as the crown bearer after Aruna Quadri won’t be defending his crown in Morroco after his absence was communicated and not just him, both winners of the U-19 championship in the male and female category won’t partake.
Mati, the bronze medallist at the 2021 ITTF World Youth Championships, is among a new young crop of African players making their mark on the sport alongside Egyptian Hana Goda in the women’s category.
“A notable absence in the 2023 ITTF Africa Youth upcoming Championships is the unavailability of reigning U-19 Boys’ and Girls’ champions will be missed in Agadir, Morocco, creating an opportunity for new talent to shine from 2-8 July,” ITTF Africa revealed.
The youngster, Mati who employs an attack, grip shake hand style was one of the revelations at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2023 in Durban, South Africa where he reached the round of 32 to give a glimpse of the future of the sport in Africa as he set his signs on 2024 Paris Olympic game.
