Islamabad (Sports News): Japan’s Ryuusei Kawakami completed a golden double at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, adding the men’s singles title to the mixed doubles gold he won earlier in the week. Chinese Taipei’s Chen Min-Hsin took the women’s crown to cap a remarkable run, and Colombia’s Emanuel Otalvaro made history with a silver medal that no player from his country had ever come close to.
If one thing defined table tennis in Dakar, it was the diversity of the podium. Six different NOCs won medals across the three events. From Japan and Chinese Taipei to Korea Republic, Singapore and Hong Kong, China, and all the way to Colombia, medals were shared across continents, styles and table tennis traditions.
For the first time since the inaugural Youth Olympic Games at Singapore 2010, China did not feature on the podium, a reflection of how the depth of the youth game continues to grow around the world, and of a new generation ready to compete with anyone.
The men’s singles final brought together two players who had lit up Dakar all week, and it lived up to every expectation.
Kawakami edged a tense opening game 15-13, took the second 11-7 and squeezed through the third 13-11 to stand one game from gold. But Otalvaro, who had dropped just two games all tournament, would not go quietly, storming back to take the fourth 11-6 and the fifth 11-2. With the momentum against him, Kawakami reset and closed out the sixth 11-6 to seal the title.
For Kawakami, it completes a golden double. Already the mixed doubles champion alongside 13-year-old Miku Matsushima, he leaves Dakar as a two-time Youth Olympic champion.
“Winning gold at the Youth Olympics is the greatest of joys for me,” he said. “I thank my family, my coach and my close ones. After my win here, my goal is to make my world ranking go up. I’d like to be in the top 30 at the next world tournament, put my name out there and try to win.”
For Otalvaro, silver is a landmark achievement. The first Colombian man to compete in table tennis at the Olympic Games or Youth Olympic Games, the 16-year-old is now also the first player from his country to win a Youth Olympic table tennis medal. An alumnus of the ITTF Hopes programme, he is a shining example of what ITTF’s talent identification and development work is designed to achieve: finding potential early, nurturing it, and helping young players reach the very biggest stages.
In the women’s final, Chen came from behind to beat Singapore’s Loy Ming Ying 4-2. Loy struck first, taking the opening game 11-5, but Chen edged the second 12-10 and won the third 11-8 to move ahead. Loy levelled with a 13-11 fourth, before Chen regained control with an 11-7 fifth and held her nerve in a gripping sixth, winning 12-10 to claim gold.
“I came here for the gold medal. I knew I stood a chance. I feel quite happy, and I definitely feel like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders. It’s always good to go back with a medal, but a gold is best," Chen said.
Both bronze medal matches were packed with drama. Korea Republic’s Lee Seungsoo raced into a 3-0 lead against Hong Kong, China’s Li Ki Ho, and held firm after a fightback to win 4-2, sealing a marathon sixth game 15-13.
Hong Kong, China’s Su Tsz Tung came from 3-2 down to beat Japan’s Miku Matsushima 4-3 in the women’s bronze medal match, adding singles bronze to her mixed doubles silver.
