Fifteen of Africa’s promising young table tennis players, including Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti and Favour Ojo, have secured places at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 in Senegal.

The athletes are among 64 players selected for the table tennis competition, scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 5, during the Games running from October 31 to November 13, 2026.

The tournament will feature 32 boys and 32 girls representing 41 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) across five continents, highlighting the global reach of the sport and the growing depth of young talent in Africa.

Three medal events will be contested: boys’ singles, girls’ singles and mixed doubles. The singles competitions will each feature 32 athletes, while 23 NOCs will compete in the mixed doubles event. Each mixed doubles pairing will comprise players already entered in the singles events, creating a demanding schedule for several competitors.

In the boys’ singles competition, Algeria’s Aylan Goudjil headlines the African contingent alongside 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.

Nigeria will also be represented in the girls’ singles by Favour Ojo, who joins an African lineup featuring 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 entry list reflects the sport’s expanding international appeal, with established table tennis nations set to compete alongside emerging countries.

Traditional powerhouses such as China, Japan, Korea Republic, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, China, Germany and France will feature alongside nations including Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Luxembourg, Madagascar and Puerto Rico.

The selected athletes were born between 2009 and 2014, making the competition a showcase for the next generation of international table tennis talent.

Dakar 2026 will mark a historic milestone as the first Olympic event to be hosted on African soil, providing young athletes from across the continent with a unique opportunity to compete at a major Olympic event on home soil.

The 15 African representatives come from nine NOCs: Algeria, Benin Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia and Uganda. Six of these nations will also feature in the mixed doubles competition.

Host nation Senegal will have particular interest in the event, with Amador Ferrer and Marieme Diallo representing the country in the singles competitions and potentially joining forces in mixed doubles.

Beyond Africa, the table tennis event will feature athletes from 11 European NOCs, 10 from the Americas, nine from Asia and two from Oceania, underlining its international character.

For Africa’s young representatives, the competition offers more than the prospect of winning medals. It presents an opportunity to gain international experience, inspire future generations and contribute to a landmark moment in the Olympic movement’s history.

With Nigeria represented by Kuti and Ojo, the country will be hoping its young stars make a strong impression when the table tennis competition begins in Dakar on October 31.