Fashola Honoured by ITTF Africa with Africa Youth Cup Trophy Naming

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa has named the trophy for its newly introduced Africa Youth Cup after former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, in recognition of his significant contributions to sports development across the continent, Sport360NG reports.

The tournament, which begins Monday at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium, marks the climax of a three-week-long table tennis festival in Lagos.

Now officially known as the BRF Cup, the trophy commemorates Fashola’s efforts in positioning Lagos as a key destination for international table tennis. The two-day youth competition will see 76 young athletes, 45 boys and 31 girls, from 14 countries vying for titles in the U-15 and U-19 categories, as well as for world ranking points and prize money.

In a statement issued Sunday, ITTF Africa said the trophy was created to honour Fashola’s dedication to youth empowerment and sports infrastructure development.

“In recognition of Fashola’s pivotal role in advancing sports development in Africa, the tournament’s trophy has been named the BRF Cup, celebrating his enduring legacy and commitment to youth and sports,” the federation said.

ITTF Africa traced the roots of Lagos’ emergence as a table tennis hub to 2013, when Fashola, as governor, sanctioned the Lagos International Sports Classics, an initiative that helped establish the city as a recurring host of major global table tennis events, including the ITTF Challenge Series and the WTT Contender Lagos, now in its third year.

The Africa Youth Cup follows the conclusion of the 2025 ITTF Africa Youth Championships, which wrapped up on Sunday. Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai provided a bright spot for the host nation by claiming gold in the U-19 boys’ doubles event, Nigeria’s sole title at the tournament.

The Nigerian duo defeated Tunisia’s Wassim Essid and Mohamed Khaloufi 3–1 in a gripping final, drawing loud cheers from fans inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Egypt once again asserted its dominance in African table tennis, taking home five of the ten gold medals on offer. Algeria secured three, while Tunisia and Nigeria claimed one apiece.