Mathew Kuti Leads 15 African Table Tennis Stars to Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics

Posted : 19 October 2026

Nigeria’s teenage table tennis prospect Mathew Kuti will lead a 15-member African contingent at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. The competition offers the continent’s rising players an opportunity to test themselves against some of the world’s best young talents.

The table tennis event will run from October 31 to November 5. It forms part of the Youth Olympic Games scheduled for October 31 to November 13, 2026, in Dakar. The event will mark a historic milestone as the first Olympic event hosted on African soil.

A total of 64 players will compete in the table tennis tournament. The field comprises 32 boys and 32 girls representing 41 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) across five continents.

The competition will feature three medal events: boys’ singles, girls’ singles and mixed doubles. Each singles event will include 32 players, while 23 NOCs are expected to contest the mixed doubles competition. Players selected for the mixed doubles event must also participate in the singles, creating a demanding schedule.

Africa’s boys’ representatives include Algeria’s Aylan Goudjil, Nigeria’s Kuti, Benin Republic’s Ganiou Abdourahaman, Egypt’s Abdelmalk Elsayed, Senegal’s Amador Ferrer, Tunisia’s Youssef Aidli and Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira. The group brings together young players from seven African nations.

Nigeria’s Favour Ojo heads the girls’ contingent. She will be joined by 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.

Senegal will have a strong reason to support its representatives. Ferrer and Diallo will compete in the singles events before teaming up in the mixed doubles, giving the host nation an opportunity to pursue medals in front of home supporters.

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) confirmed the final list of selected players on October 15. The competition will feature established table tennis nations such as China, Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Germany and France. Emerging participants, including Madagascar, Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Luxembourg and Puerto Rico, will also be represented.

The selected athletes were born between 2009 and 2014. Their participation highlights the importance of youth development and the growing international reach of table tennis.

For Kuti and Ojo, the Games offer a valuable opportunity to represent Nigeria at a major international event. Their performances will also attract attention as African table tennis continues to develop and prepare its next generation of competitors.

Mathew Kuti Leads 15 African Table Tennis Stars to Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics

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