Youssef Aidli is leasing a new wave Africa Table Tennis youngsters as Youth triumphed over experience on Monday with the exit of Monday Olabiyi, others at the ongoing ITTF-Africa Championships in Tunis,
Teenage debutants stunned seasoned veterans in the second round of the singles events, signalling a generational shift at the continental showpiece.
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Veterans such as Monday Olabiyi and Farouk Salifou of the Benin Republic, Amgad Mahrous of Sudan, and Simon Ebode of Cameroon have all bowed out of the Men’s Singles competition.
Olabiyi was swept aside 4-0 by Tunisian teenager Youssef Aidli, Mahrous fell by the same margin to Uganda’s Jonathan Senyonga, while Salifou suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Nigeria’s Abdulbasit Abdulfatai.
A similar storyline unfolded in the Women’s Singles, where youthful energy, again, outshone veteran experience.
Nigeria’s Aishat Rabiu ousted Ghana’s Bernice Borquaye, while Algeria’s Houda Taguercifi sent experienced Angolan star Ruth Tavares packing.
Fourteen-year-old Tunisian prodigy Ela Saidi stunned Rwanda’s Ruth Mihindu, and Algerian twins Tania and Jade Morice, both 15, made a dazzling debut by defeating South Africa’s Danisha Patel and Congo Brazzaville’s Thomie Mossemba 4-0 respectively.
However, top contenders like Egypt’s Omar Assar, Youssef Abdelaziz, Mohamed El-Beili, and rising star Mostafa Badr, established stars of the game like Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo; Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa; Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou; and Tunisia’s own Wassim Essid all cruised through their matches to secure spots in the third round of the Men’s Singles.
As the tournament heads into a decisive phase on Tuesday, October 14, the singles events will intensify, separating the contenders from the pretenders in the race to crown the 2025 champions in Tunis.
Meanwhile, Cameroon’s Ylane Batix is hoping to go beyond the round of 32 in the Men’s Singles in Tunis.
But the 19-year-old Cameroonian signaled a shift in momentum earlier this year when he reached the semifinals of the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup.
Now, Batix believes the time has come to stake his claim among Africa’s elite table tennis players.
Despite only resuming training a week ago following a wrist injury, Batix remains confident in his ability to reach the semifinals at the ongoing tournament in the coastal city of Tunis.
“Since my first appearance at the ITTF Africa Championships, I’ve never gone past the second round. I’ve also been unlucky with the draw, facing top seeds right from the start. In 2021, I played Quadri Aruna in the first round in Yaoundé, Cameroon. In 2023, I lost in the round of 32 to Bode Abiodun, and the same happened in 2024 in Ethiopia. ”
“But this year, I’m fully prepared to break into the top four here in Tunis. It’s tough, but I’m ready to fight for it,” he said.
Batix has competed in several high-level tournaments this year, including the Europe Smash in Sweden, and he believes the experience gained will serve him well in Tunis.
