Uganda wrapped up a thrilling campaign at the 2025 ITTF African Youth Table Tennis Championships in Lagos, Nigeria, with an impressive medal haul: one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals.
The tournament, which was held at the Sir Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, brought together the continent’s best young talent in a showcase of rising stars.
Uganda’s final medal tally was sealed on Sunday evening, with standout performances by Jemimah Nakawala, Judith Parvin Nangonzi, Sharif Nsereko, Joseph Sebatindira, Patience Anyango, and Patra Nasirumbi.
Silver Medal: Nakawala and Nangonzi powered through to the under-19 girls’ doubles final after beating Egypt’s Younes Mariam and Elbasoumy Habiba 3-1 in a gripping semi-final.
However, they had to settle for silver after losing 0-3 to Egypt’s Malak Abdelshakour and Nour Zaki in the final.
Bronze Medals:
Nsereko and Anyango fought hard in the under-15 mixed doubles, narrowly losing 2-3 in the semi-final to Nigeria’s Tobi Adebakin and Aishat Rabiu.
Nsereko and Sebatindira also bagged bronze in under-15 boys’ doubles, despite their 1-3 loss to Egypt in the semi-final.
Nsereko added another bronze after reaching the under-15 boys’ singles semi-final, where he lost 1-3 to Algeria’s Bilel Zouitene.
Earlier in the week, Uganda had already claimed gold in the under-15 girls’ team event. The team—Nakawala, Anyango, and Patra Nasirumbi—delivered a top-notch performance, defeating tough opponents from across Africa to clinch the top spot.
These achievements mark a huge step forward for Uganda’s presence in continental table tennis. The young players not only demonstrated skill but also resilience and discipline on the big stage.
With their eyes now set on the upcoming African Cup, which began on Monday, the team is hoping to build on this momentum.
U19 Girls’ Doubles – Final
Egypt (Abdelshakour/Zaki) 3–0 Uganda (Nakawala/Nangonzi): 11-8, 11-3, 11-8
U19 Girls’ Doubles – Semifinal
Uganda 3–1 Egypt (Younes/Elbasoumy): 14-12, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7
U15 Boys’ Singles – Semifinal
Algeria (Bilel Zouitene) 3–1 Uganda (Nsereko): 15-13, 11-9, 11-4
U15 Boys’ Doubles – Semifinal
Egypt (Asser/Mohammed) 3–1 Uganda (Nsereko/Sebatindira): 11-13, 11-6, 11-9, 11-6
U15 Mixed Doubles – Semifinal
Nigeria (Adebakin/Rabiu) 3–2 Uganda (Nsereko/Anyango)
Uganda’s performance is a testament to the growing strength of African youth talent in table tennis and a sign that more investment in sports development is paying off.
As the young athletes now turn their attention to the African Cup, Uganda hopes to bring even more glory home.
