African youngsters ensured that the top prizes did not leave the continent as Egypt and Nigeria made the top three teams at the just concluded 2022 WTT Youth Contender Cairo in Egypt.
The stars include Egypt’s trio of Mohamed Azzam, Yassin Gaber, and Hana Goda as well as Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti and they toppled their opponents in the U-19, U-17, U-13, and U-11 events of the championships.
According to WTT, Azzam maintains a perfect WTT Youth series record in 2022 after taking down the U19 Boys’ Singles title in front of a home crowd at WTT Youth Contender Cairo 2022. Azzam went into the event as the 3rd seed but manage to negotiate a path to the final where he defeated fellow Egyptian Marwan Gamal 3-1 (13-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-2).
“I am very happy to win my second title here in my home country. I prepared very well for the event and I kept focused on every single match. The final was against my friend and national team colleague, so since we know each other very well it was challenging to beat him. I hope to continue working especially preparing for the upcoming World Youth Championships this December,” an elated Azzam said.
Azzam came into 2022 without a career title to his name; this has quickly flipped. The win in Cairo means Azzam has won two titles in two WTT Youth Series showings this season, having picked up his first at Youth Contender Agadir in August.
But Nigeria’s Mathew Kuti made his presence count being a debut at the WTT Youth Series debut, the Nigerian youngster announced himself to the world at the 2022 African Youth Championships in Tunis, and claimed the U13 and U11 Boys’ Singles titles.
It was a remarkable achievement for the 11-year-old who defeated top seed Puerto Rico’s Steven Moreno 3-1 (5-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8) for the U13 title and India’s Vivaan Dave 3-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6) in the U11 event.
A delighted Kuti said: “I am extremely happy and excited to win the titles. Playing with high-level players here in Cairo is a big pleasure for me. Being the champion for two age categories was not easy, I tried so hard to prove that I am doing my best. I am very proud to represent my country Nigeria. I will keep fighting to improve my skills and claim more titles in the future.”
Homegrown success continued for Egypt in the U17 Boys’ Singles as Yassin Gaber came out on top over Moamen Salahedlin 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7).
Hana Goda has won the U19 Girls’ Singles on home soil, defeating Sarvinoz Mirkadirova in straight games to take the WTT Youth Contender Cairo 2022 title.
It was a dominant display from Goda, winning three times the points of her opponent throughout the match (11-3, 11-6, 11-2). However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for a rising star in Cairo. Facing fellow Egyptian Sara Elhakem in the quarterfinals, Goda had to come from 1-2 down, and only secured the win 11-9 in the fifth game.
“It was a very great win especially in my home country and in front of all people supporting me. The atmosphere was really perfect and I hope that we organise more WTT events in Egypt in the future,” said Goda.
The result means 14-year-old Goda has scored three WTT Youth Series titles this year, with two coming in the U19 category. It is looking like a successful tail end to the season for Goda, having also secured her first World Youth No.1 ranking just last month.