Five young African umpires have been selected to officiate at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 after progressing through the ITTF Young Umpires Project.
Alaa Mahmoud El-Moniry Esh (Egypt), Daniel Beyene (Ethiopia), Kefilwe Rasengwatshe (Botswana), Millicent Ankude (Ghana) and Ruan Venter (South Africa) impressed during the project’s training and assessment process, including examinations held at the African Youth Championships 2026 in Accra
Their selections are part of an ambitious ITTF initiative to create opportunities and establish a clear development pathway for the next generation of international officials.
Of the 20 International Technical Officials appointed to officiate table tennis at Dakar 2026, 14 have come through the ITTF Young Umpires Project. This gives young officials a leading role at one of the sport’s biggest youth events.
For the five African umpires, that opportunity carries a huge meaning as Dakar 2026 becomes the first Youth Olympic Games to be held in Africa.
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The training and assessment began in August 2025, with 60 young umpires entering the project. Phase 1 combined mentoring from six ITTF Gold Badge mentors with five dedicated learning modules, expert sessions and advanced training, culminating in an International Umpire Exam for national umpires.
Twenty-two umpires from 22 Member Associations progressed to Phase 2, where the focus shifted towards practical experience.
Alongside online workshops and match-situation analysis, participants officiated at one of six international youth events across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania, as well as WTT Youth Contenders in Almaty and Otočec.
Following individual interviews and a comprehensive evaluation, ITTF Sport Development and the ITTF Umpires and Referees Committee (URC) selected the final 14 umpires for Dakar 2026, with an average age of just 25.
The 14 Young Umpires Selected for Dakar 2026 include:
Alaa Mahmoud El-Moniry Esh (EGY), Aleksandra Niemiec (POL), Alexander Cai (USA), Braulio Neira (CHI), Caleb Kyle Claro (PHI), Daniel Beyene (ETH), Daphne Sheng Yan Lau (MAS), Eduards Spagis (LAT), Emily Knutsson (SWE), Kefilwe Rasengwatshe (BOT), Millicent Ankude (GHA), Mohammed Alrashed (KSA), Ruan Venter (RSA), Star Richens (NZL)
