Team Nigeria’s quest for medals in the U-19 Boys’ and Girls’ Singles events at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra, Ghana, came to a disappointing end after all four remaining players were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Keep Three Medal Hopes Alive in U-19 Boys’ Singles at ITTF Africa Youth Championships

Sports247 reports that Nigeria will finish the U-19 singles competition without a podium place despite an encouraging run to the last eight.

In the U-19 Boys’ Singles, Agunbiade Sultan saw his impressive campaign halted by Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, who produced a dominant display to claim a 4-1 victory and secure a semi-final berth.

Nigeria’s Michael Fabunmi was also knocked out after suffering a straight-sets defeat to Egypt’s Gaber Yasin, who continued his impressive run through the tournament.

There was also disappointment for Kuti Mathew, who battled courageously against Egypt’s ElSayed AbdelMalk. Despite producing moments of brilliance and winning two games, the Nigerian was unable to overturn his opponent’s superiority, eventually falling 4-2 in a hard-fought contest.

In the U-19 Girls’ Singles, Nigeria’s sole remaining representative, Ayoola Kabirat, was eliminated after losing in straight sets to Uganda’s giant-killer Jemimah Nakawala. Nakawala, who had stunned top seed Yara Elbadawy of Egypt in the previous round, continued her remarkable run to book a place in the semi-finals.

The quarter-final exits mean Nigeria’s hopes of securing medals in the U-19 singles events have officially ended.

Attention now shifts to the U-15 Singles, where Nigeria still has strong medal prospects. The country’s young stars will be aiming to keep the national flag flying high as they seek to challenge for continental honours in the remaining singles events.

While the U-19 campaign ended in disappointment, the performances of Nigeria’s players throughout the championship once again demonstrated the country’s depth of talent and its continued status as one of Africa’s leading forces in youth table tennis.

The post Nigeria Crash Out of U-19 Singles as Medal Hopes End at ITTF Africa Youth Championships appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

Ambitious kids in Abesan Estate and environs are cherishing the growing impact of a non-governmental agency, Samaritan’s Feet Youth Volleyball Programme, which has brought lots of gains to the community located near Ipaja in Lagos.

Sports247 gathered that Samaritan’s Feet is a USA-based international humanitarian project that aims to support less privileged children with opportunities to boost their career ambition through the supply of equipment, training programmes, kit and funds on a regular basis.

A corporate profile revealed that Samaritan’s Feet is a humanitarian aid and non-profit organisation that inspires hope by providing shoes to children in need around the world. Since its establishment in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet haa served over 10.5 million people across 111 countries and over 625 US cities.

Propelled by their motto – ‘Giving Shoes. Giving Hope’ – Samaritan’s Feet believes that a new pair of shoes can provide a tangible foundation of hope and the opportunity for a better life.

They also help children to focus on school, help them protect their feet to decrease the possibility of getting foot-borne diseases, while also motivating families to think beyond their limitations.

The profile added, “Samaritan’s Feet serves and inspires hope in children by providing shoes as the foundation to a spiritual and healthy life, resulting in the advancement of education and economic opportunities. A world with zero shoeless children.”

The organisation recently expanded its impact by taking a strong footing at Abesan Estate Stadium through the efforts of former women’s national volleyball team star, Ekanem Yellow-Duke, who had earlier set up an academy in the sub-topia known for its high level of sports activities.

Yellow-Duke told Sports247 that she always had a passion for youth development, hence her decision to quit as an active volleyball player and start training young talents.

She has been meeting her passion squarely through daily activities with CorePlay Volleyball Academy since 2022, and her vision received a boost when Samaritan’s Feet accepted her proposal for collaboration.

“I am happy for the way the NGO is supporting me with equipment and funding an annual camp for the academy. In fact, they have been very supportive in various ways

“They have helped me in my target of seeking exceptional children and giving young ones all the opportunities they need to achieve their dreams,” said Yellow-Duke.

The graduate of Zoology from University of Lagos, who also has a coaching certificate from National Institute for Sports (NIS), enthused that the aid she continues getting from Samaritan’s Feet will help her touch a lot of talented kids in the Abesan-Ipaja axis.

The post Abesan Estate Kids Cherish Expanding Impact Of Samaritan’s Feet Youth Volleyball Programme  appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

Nigeria successfully defended its U-19 Boys’ Team title at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra, Ghana, after producing a thrilling comeback victory over Egypt in a pulsating final.

READ ALSO: Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria Storm U-19 Team Semifinals at ITTF Africa Youth Championships

Sports247 reports that Agunbiade Sultan inspired the defending champions with a remarkable fightback after recovering from two games down to turn the tide in Nigeria’s favour.

His resilience paved the way for teammates Kuti Matthew, popularly known as “The Dragon,” and Atunwon Quadri, nicknamed the “Table Tennis Messi,” to seal a dramatic 3-2 triumph and retain the continental crown.

While Nigeria celebrated success in the U-19 boys’ category, Egypt once again underlined its dominance across the youth championships by claiming three other team titles.

In the U-19 Girls’ Team final, the Egyptian quartet of Habiba Elbasoumy, Yara Elbadawy, Malak Abdelshakour, and Farida Thabet delivered a commanding performance to sweep aside Algeria 3-0, successfully defending their continental title.

Egypt also emerged champions in the U-15 Boys’ Team event, where Ahmed Elsabbagh, Sameh Asser, Hussein Eyad, and Kosba Mohamed proved too strong for Nigeria.

The North Africans recorded a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the Nigerian team of Joseph Marvelous, Umar Ayoola, and Samson Joshua to lift the title.

The Egyptian dominance continued in the U-15 Girls’ Team final, as Zaki Malak, Nada Elbadawy, Darin Abdelsalam, and Mahgoub Daleela edged Tunisia 3-2 in a fiercely contested encounter to secure another continental crown.

The championship once again showcased the growing standard of youth table tennis across Africa, with Nigeria and Egypt reaffirming their status as two of the continent’s leading forces.

Nigeria’s successful defence of the U-19 Boys’ Team title stands out as one of the highlights of the tournament, demonstrating the country’s strength in developing young table tennis talents capable of competing at the highest level in Africa.

The post Nigeria Retains U-19 Boys’ Team Title as Egypt Dominates ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.