Meet Favour Ojo: The teen star making history at Africa’s first Olympic Games
Favour Ojo began playing table tennis on a wooden plank in her family compound. Five years later, the 16-year-old is preparing to represent Nigeria at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, with her sights set on the senior Olympics.
Favour Ojo, a 16-year-old Nigerian table tennis player, is making waves at Africa's inaugural Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. Her journey began in 2021 when she started playing on a makeshift wooden plank in her family compound with a group of boys. In 2022, her coach, Omoniyi Adedotun, took her to the stadium, marking the beginning of her serious training.
Adedotun recognized her talent and determination, believing she could compete at the highest level with the right guidance and discipline. Favour's progress was swift; she won gold with Nigeria's mixed team at the 4th Africa Youth Games in Angola and participated in the ITTF African Championships in Tunis as a junior, where Nigeria reached the semi-finals.
Balancing school and sports is challenging, but her biggest sacrifice has been leaving exams for competition. Favour's aspirations extend beyond Senegal, hoping to train in France or China after completing her education to further improve her game. Her coach, Adedotun, emphasizes the satisfaction of nurturing young talent and believes Favour's journey is just beginning.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
