Nigeria’s Kuti One Win Away from Youth Olympic Game’s Table Tennis Knockout Stage

Nigeria's Matthew Kuti finds himself just one match away from advancing to the knockout stage of the men's singles table tennis event at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, set to be held at the Dakar Expo Centre in Senegal. Kuti's teammate, Favour Ojo, was eliminated in the mixed doubles round of 16 following a loss to the Thai team on the first day of competition on Saturday, 31 October 2026.

In the men's singles tournament, Kuti is part of Group C, which includes Youssef Aidli of Tunisia, Li Ki Ho of Hong Kong, and Francesco Travesan of Italy. The top two competitors from each group will advance to the knockout rounds.

Kuti's journey in this tournament has been a rollercoaster ride. He faced a tough start, losing 3-0 to Li Ki Ho of Hong Kong, whose powerful play was simply too much for the Nigerian player. However, Kuti showed his resilience by defeating Tunisia's Aidli 3-1 in their subsequent encounter, placing him in a crucial match against Italy's Travesan on Monday, 2 November.

Ojo, on the other hand, was unable to bounce back from her initial loss, suffering a 3-1 defeat to Egypt's Yara Elbadawy. This second group-stage elimination has ended her chances of advancing to the knockout rounds. Despite the tough competition, Kuti remains confident about his prospects of reaching the next stage. "It has not been easy for us here in Dakar because everybody is at their best and we are all aiming for the knockout stage," Kuti stated. "I hope I can raise my game against the Italian."