With Dakar exactly one year away from becoming the first African city to host the Youth Olympic Games, the ITTF’s extensive development work across Africa continues to support the growth of the sport in the lead up to this landmark moment. The event will also mark another historic first: the first Youth Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Kirsty Coventry, herself the first African to lead the International Olympic Committee.
The countdown to Dakar 2026 comes at a time of unprecedented growth in the development of African table tennis. In 2024, the continent hosted 51 different development activities across 37 member associations, with gender-balanced participation across all programs showing 57.2% male and 42.8% female involvement. This momentum has continued into 2025, with nearly 30 activities already implemented across 21 member associations, demonstrating ITTF’s continued commitment to growth within the region.
“The Youth Olympic Games is not just a competition – it is about shaping the next generation of athletes and creating opportunities that will resonate across Africa long after the closing ceremony,” said Petra Sörling, President of ITTF and IOC Member.Our work across the continent through our development programs and capacity building initiatives ensures that this historic moment in Dakar will leave a lasting legacy for young athletes and the wider table tennis community.”
Senegal’s intensive preparation
For Senegal, organizing the Youth Olympic Games is an important milestone. The Senegalese Table Tennis Association has been involved in the ITTF Participation Program for the past three years, delivering consistent national activities and grassroots developments that have laid the foundation for this historic moment.
Most recently, ITTF held an intensive youth training camp in Dakar, Senegal, from September 29 to October 8, as part of ITTF’s strategic preparation for the Youth Olympic Games. Led by Africa Participation Officer Paul Tiendrebeogo, the camp brought together 23 young players – 13 boys and 10 girls aged 12 to 15 – with a coaching team of five male coaches, a female coach and a team manager for eight days of comprehensive development.
The camp was an example of ITTF’s holistic approach to developing athletes and coaches in Africa. Over eight intensive training days, participants took part in double daily sessions of two hours each, focusing on technical fundamentals including stroke connection, footwork consistency, serve and return techniques, tactical awareness and individual skill development through high-ball training drills. The structured program included both technical exercises and competitive scenarios, culminating in a two-day tournament that allowed players to apply their newly developed skills under competitive pressure.
Coaches took part in special educational sessions on training session components, player assessment methodologies and requirements to ensure consistent progression – building the local coaching capacity essential for sustainable development beyond the Youth Olympic Games.
The Dakar camp builds on previous international exposure opportunities. Prior to the ITTF training camp, six Senegalese players and one coach completed a comprehensive training program in Changsha, China, from August 3 to September 29, 2025. Delivered through the Chinese Ministry of Commerce through the Office of the Prime Minister of Senegal and facilitated by ITTF, this experience provided valuable exposure to international standards and technical development that complemented the ITTF’s domestic preparation efforts.
Among the camp participants, young Senegalese hopefuls are now preparing to compete in the Youth Olympic Games on home soil, benefiting from world-class training support and the expertise of ITTF’s development network.
Looking ahead to 2026, ITTF will provide a specialized training opportunity for selected African players, supported by Olympic Solidarity, as part of the focused preparation for the Youth Olympic Games. This initiative will provide identified talent with additional high-quality support as the Games approach.
ITTF development impact
The training camp in Senegal is an example of ITTF’s comprehensive approach to development, which extends far beyond athlete preparation to include coach training, technical official certifications and grassroots capacity building initiatives across the continent.
A major milestone came in 2024 when Tunisia hosted the Level 3 Coaching Course – the first time in eight years that this advanced qualification has returned to Africa. With 17 participants from nine member associations completing the rigorous program, this has significantly strengthened the continent’s coaching expertise.
The technical capacity has also seen remarkable growth. Competition management workshops and online certification programs saw 18 individuals from nine member associations achieve “Regional Competition Manager in Progress” status, while exam success rates for international referees reached 58% by 2024. Meanwhile, digital learning platforms proved invaluable, with African associations accessing 170 hours of ITTF’s online educational services to strengthen their organizational capabilities.
These development programs provide a strong foundation as preparations intensify in Senegal and across the continent for the final year leading up to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games – the historic first Olympic event on African soil.
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