Uganda’s table tennis prodigy Joseph Sebatindira claimed the 2025 ITTF Africa Youth Cup U15 boys’ singles title on Tuesday night.
Sebatindira, 10, dispatched Algeria’s Zouitene Bilel 3-2 at the semifinal stage, and went on to beat compatriot Sharif Nsereko 11-8, 11-7, 11-5 in the final in Nigeria.
“This is a sweet victory for me because I beat several strong players from other countries. It means a lot because it motivates me to keep working hard to lift the national flag high,” Sebatindira told Xinhua.
The youngster, a student at Nakasero Primary School in Kampala, said he is encouraged every day to be Africa’s top player and challenges himself to be among the top world players. “There is nothing impossible if a player continues to work hard and has all the support,” added Sebatindira, who has been the world U-11 champion for the last two years.
Cyrus Muwanga, President of the Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA), also praised Sebatindira for his performance at the tournament.
“We thank the team for the good showing, and particularly thank Sebatindira, who has continued to raise the national flag very high. We promise to keep supporting him and give him the exposure that he needs,” added Muwanga.
The National Council of Sports (NCS) General Secretary, Dr Patrick Ogwel, also hailed Sebatindira’s performance.
“Sebatindira has continuously carried the Ugandan flag high by winning titles. We thank him once again for this win, which saw him come top in Africa,” said Ogwel.
