6 African Starlets Set For ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge In Sheffield

Six of Africa’s brightest young table tennis talents will compete at the 2026 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge in Sheffield, United Kingdom, from October 12 to 18.

The six players are among 36 Under-12 athletes from 26 Member Associations selected for the prestigious International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) talent development programme at the English Institute of Sport.

Africa’s contingent comprises Nigeria’s Umar Ayoola and Elizabeth Emelike, Egypt’s Zeina Farouk and Adam Lashin, Tunisia’s Ritej Charif and Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira.

The players earned their places after impressive performances at the Africa Hopes Week and Challenge held earlier this year in Accra, Ghana.

Jointly organised by the ITTF and Table Tennis England, the World Hopes Week & Challenge is the culmination of the year-long Continental Hopes Programme, which is designed to identify and develop promising young players from across the world.

The Sheffield event will bring together emerging talents from Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania for a week of intensive training and competition.

According to the ITTF, participants were selected through their respective Continental Hopes programmes, with the leading performers progressing to the global event.

The programme will feature high-level technical sessions conducted by elite international coaches, alongside the Challenge competition.

However, the players’ performances will not be judged solely on their results. Their technical ability, attitude towards training and long-term development potential will also form part of the assessment.

The outstanding performers will be considered for selection to the Hopes Team, which provides a pathway into the ITTF High Performance programme.

The African representatives will face competition from young players from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, England, Spain, Finland, France, Guyana, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Romania, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.

The event will also provide opportunities for the young players to interact with their peers from different countries and cultures while gaining valuable international experience.

For the six African youngsters, the Sheffield gathering represents an important stage in their development and an opportunity to test themselves against some of the world’s most promising players in their age group.

Their participation also highlights the growing emphasis on youth development across the continent as African table tennis seeks to identify and nurture the next generation of international players.