Egypt's Omar Assar and Hana Goda make history by defending singles titles in Tunis

Omar Assar claimed a record fifth men’s singles title at the 2025 African Table Tennis Championships with a dramatic comeback over Egyptian compatriot Youssef Abdelaziz on Wednesday, 15 October, in Tunis, Tunisia. Meanwhile, in anohter Egyptian derby, teenage sensation Hana Goda secured her third consecutive title with a commanding win over Dina Meshref.

Assar, a two-time Olympic Games quarterfinalist, entered the final aiming to extend his legacy. Abdelaziz, seeking revenge for his 2024 final loss, started strong, taking the first two games 11-4, 11-7 displaying aggressive play and sharp tactics.

Assar fought back, winning the third 11-6. Abdelaziz claimed the fourth 11-6 to move within one game of victory. The fifth was tightly contested, with Assar edging it 11-8 to stay alive.

In a tense sixth, Abdelaziz pushed hard, but Assar clawed back to win 16-14, leveling the match at 3-3 and forcing a decisive seventh game. In the thrilling finale, Assar ultimately prevailed 11-7 to secure a 4-3 victory and his fifth continental crown.

Hana Goda eyes third-consecutive African title: "Table tennis has given me everything. It’s literally my life."

Relieved and elated, Assar likened the match to his past battles with Nigerian rival Quadri Aruna.

“This final reminded me of the rollercoaster matches I’ve had with Aruna, where I had to come back from 3-1 down. Today, I stayed focused and kept telling myself not to give up—I needed this badly. I’m proud to win my fifth title, marking my 14th singles title in Africa. I hope to make it 15 soon,” he said.

Teen sensation Hana Goda delivers masterclass performance

In the women’s singles final, 17-year-old Hana Goda delivered a masterclass performance against Dina Meshref, securing her third straight African title and making history as the first female player to achieve the feat.

Goda dominated from the start, taking the first two games 11-8, 11-5 with her signature loops and topspin. Meshref briefly led in the third, but Goda rallied to win 11-8, then closed out the match with an emphatic 11-5 in the fourth, completing a 4-0 sweep.

“Winning this year’s title wasn’t easy—it was mentally tough,” Goda said. “The scoreline might look simple, but the match was intense. I’m proud to become the first African woman to win three consecutive singles titles.” - Hana Goda

Egypt continue medal sweep in doubles

Egypt’s dominance extended to the doubles events, where the nation swept all three titles - mixed doubles, women’s doubles, and men’s doubles.

In the mixed doubles final, defending champions Youssef Abdelaziz and Mariam Alhodaby retained their crown with a straight-sets win over fellow Egyptians Mostafa Badr and Marwa Alhodaby (11-4, 11-7, 11-9).

The newly formed duo of Dina Meshref and Hana Goda proved formidable in the women’s doubles, defeating the Alhodaby twins, Mariam and Marwa, 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4) to claim their first title together. The pair had previously reached the final at the WTT Contender Lagos in July.

“It was relatively easy getting to the final, but the final itself was tough-especially playing against our compatriots,” Meshref said. “I’m thrilled our partnership has finally been rewarded.”

In the men’s doubles, Abdelaziz added to his medal haul by teaming up with Mohamed El-Beiali. The Egyptian pair overcame Algeria’s Bella Maheidine and Jellouli Milhane in an entertaining 3-1 final (11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-2).

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