by Ian Marshall, Editor

In the under 21 women’s team event Mariam Alhodaby, Marwa Alhodaby and Hend Fathy showed no charity as they recorded a 3-0 semi-final win against Tunisia’s Fadwa Garci, Samar Hichri and Ghofrane Beji. At the final hurdle, Algeria awaits; likewise they did not concede a single match in their fixture against South Africa’s Musfiquh Kalam, Simeen Mookrey and Jesse Nomdo.

Similarly, in the penultimate round of the junior girls’ team competition, Egypt was in the express lane; the trio formed by Alaa Yeha, Hend Fathy and Sara Elhakem secured a 3-0 win in opposition to Tunisia’s Fadwa Garci, Samar Hichri and Maram Zoghlami.

Now, Nigeria awaits in the final, their journey to the title decider much more exacting; the trio comprising Sukurat Aiyelbegan, Vivian Out and Iyanu Oluwa Falana needed the full five matches to overcome the Mauritius combination of Oumehani Hosenally, Nandeshwaree Jalim and Sandhana Descann.

Mainstay of the victory was Sukurat Aiyelbegan, she accounted for both Oumehani Hosenally (11-4, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6) and Nandeshwaree Jalim (10-12, 11-2, 11-9, 11-9). Two vital wins; they set the scene for Vivian Oku to be the heroine; in the vital fifth match of the fixture, she beat Oumehani Hosenally (6-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-7).

Comfortable penultimate round victories for Egypt in the under 21 women’s team and junior girls’ team events; in the cadet girls’ team semi-final, life was more testing. A 3-2 margin of victory was the outcome for Rouaa Elnaghi and Farida Badawy in opposition to the Algerian trio of Melissa Belache, Hadil Merrouche and Nour Bakiri. The player to cause the problems was Melissa Belouche; she accounted for both Rouaa Elnaghi (11-8, 14-12, 11-9) and Farida Badawy (11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9); the savior for Egypt was Rouaa Elnaghi, in the vital deciding fifth contest, she overcame Hadil Merrouche (11-5, 11-4, 11-7).

Similar to the junior girls’ team event, it is Nigeria who awaits in the final; like the Egyptians, they experienced a most exacting penultimate round contest. A 3-2 win was the margin of victory for Sadiat Alimat Akeem and Sukurat Aiyelbegan in opposition to Tunisia’s Maram Zoghlami and Farah Mahjoub. Star of the show for the Nigerians was Sadiat Alimat Akeem; in the crucial fifth match, by the very narrowest of margins she beat Farah Mahjoub (7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9).

The finals of all team events will be played on Wednesday 10th April.

2019 African Youth, Junior and Cadet Championships: Newsletter No.4 (Tuesday 9th April)