The former Lagos governor will attend the Accra finale of the BRF Cup, as Africa’s rising table tennis stars battle for honours and continental recognition

Former Nigerian Minister of Works and Housing and ex-Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, will headline the grand finale of the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Cup at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, Ghana, on Wednesday.

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The tournament, which is being staged as the Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) Cup, honours Fashola’s contribution to the growth of table tennis in Africa, particularly his role in launching the Lagos Table Tennis Classics in 2013.

Fashola’s presence at the finale is expected to add further significance to an event designed to showcase the continent’s emerging table tennis talents and encourage healthy competition among young athletes from across Africa.

He will be joined by members of the Executive Committee of the African Table Tennis Federation, led by its President, Wahid Oshodi, as the continent’s promising players compete for honours at the two-day tournament.

The competition is also intended to provide a platform for identifying and developing the next generation of African table tennis stars, with organisers holding a long-term ambition of transforming the event into a globally recognised tournament.

Among the players attracting attention is Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, the reigning U-19 boys’ singles champion, who returns to defend his status as one of the leading contenders.

Algeria’s Tania Morice and Bilel Zouitene, both former U-15 winners, will also step up to the U-19 category, adding further intrigue to a tournament featuring players who have already established themselves at younger age levels.

The U-19 events will see Tunisia’s Essid and Egypt’s Yara Elbadawy occupy the top-seeded positions, while Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira and Tunisia’s Ela Saidi lead the seedings in the U-15 categories.

The U-19 boys’ singles competition is expected to be particularly competitive, with Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti entering the tournament in impressive form.

Kuti recently played a key role in Nigeria’s victory over top-seeded Egypt at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships, a result that has strengthened his credentials ahead of the BRF Cup.

His recent performances will be closely watched as he faces a strong field that includes established young players seeking to build on their continental experience.

The Fashola ITTF Africa Youth Cup therefore arrives at an important moment for African table tennis, combining competitive ambition with a broader effort to develop the sport’s youth pathway.

For organisers and continental officials, the presence of an influential figure such as Fashola also reflects the connection between the sport’s past development and its future ambitions.

As the young athletes take to the tables in Accra, the tournament offers more than a chance to claim medals.

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It provides an opportunity for Africa’s rising stars to test themselves against the best of their generation, gain valuable international experience and take another step towards the continent’s wider table tennis ambitions.