Top-seeded Tunisian star Wassim Essid ended his Nigerian campaign on a high note after clinching the boys’ U-19 singles title at the maiden ITTF Africa Youth Cup, tagged the Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) Cup.
On Tuesday, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Wassim Essid delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Nigeria’s Muiz Adegoke to secure the prestigious title.
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The win came as redemption for Africa’s top-ranked male youth player, who narrowly missed out on defending his ITTF Africa Youth Championships crown after falling 4-1 to Egypt’s Badr Mostafa in the final.
Wassim Essid’s road to victory included a thrilling 4-3 quarter-final triumph over Nigeria’s Abdulbasit Abdulfatai.
Speaking after his win, Essid described the BRF Cup title as a “perfect conclusion” to his extended stay in Nigeria, which began with the WTT Contender Lagos (July 22–26) and continued through the African Youth tournaments (July 27–August 5).
In the girls’ U-19 singles final, Egypt’s Mariam Younes further cemented her dominance in African table tennis, defeating compatriot Nour Zaki 4-0.
This triumph followed her successful title defense at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships earlier in the tournament.
Algeria’s Tania Morice made history by winning the first-ever girls’ U-15 singles title at the Africa Youth Cup.
Morice staged a stunning comeback from two sets down to defeat Uganda’s Jemimah Nakawala 3-2 (5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-6), adding another accolade to her Youth Championships success.
In the boys’ U-15 singles category, Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira showcased his talent with a dominant 3-0 win over fellow Ugandan Sharif Nsereko, underscoring Uganda’s rising influence in the youth table tennis scene.
The inaugural event featured 76 players (45 boys and 31 girls) from 14 African nations, all competing to shape the continent’s future table tennis landscape.
Fully sanctioned by the International Table Tennis Federation, the tournament results will count toward players’ official ITTF rankings next week.
The newly introduced Africa Youth Cup trophy was named in honor of former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, recognizing his longstanding contributions to sports development in Africa.
