There is something different about beginning a championship on home soil.
For Egypt’s young players, the first Team Relay match of the All Africa Junior Championships 2026 was not just another fixture. Cairo Stadium was their home venue, and the opening against Tunisia gave them the chance to begin their continental campaign in front of their own supporters.
They responded quickly.
A Ahmed and M Mohamed opened the tie in mixed doubles and defeated A Khayati and F Hachemi 11–2. F Fikry Eltaweel and L Wasfy then took women’s doubles 11–4, pushing Egypt further ahead. O Elsaban followed in men’s singles against Khayati, while F Rabie added another women’s singles victory. By the time O Sobhy and K Wael finished the first men’s doubles encounter, Egypt had collected 55 points to Tunisia’s 26.
It was a start that put Tunisia under pressure from the very beginning.
But Tunisia did not simply disappear. Players such as Khayati, Miled, Hachemi, El Hachemi, Hasnaoui and Seghaier continued to take their places on court as the relay moved through its different disciplines. The challenge for them was to keep fighting while the Egyptian lead continued to grow.
Egypt, meanwhile, kept asking its own players to return to the task.
The second sequence saw more familiar faces back on court, with O Elsaban and Elgendy H appearing in mixed doubles, Elgendy H and F Rabie in women’s doubles, M Khaled in men’s singles, L Wasfy in women’s singles and M Khaled and M Noaman in men’s doubles. After ten completed matches, Egypt had again reached 55 points, while Tunisia had 10.
On another court, South Africa were also enjoying a strong start against Zimbabwe. Their opening sequence followed a similar pattern, with Dednam and van Tonder, Li, Lai, Bredell and Dednam and Lai all contributing victories. South Africa reached 55 points while Zimbabwe had 12 after the first five matches, and the advantage continued into the next sequence.
But while some teams were already deep into their first battles, Mauritius experienced a completely different beginning.
The Mauritian juniors had arrived at Cairo Stadium expecting to meet Senegal at 10:00 in Group C. Instead, Senegal did not take part in the tie and Mauritius was awarded a walkover. The result gives Mauritius an early 2–0 victory, but without a single shuttle being hit across the net.
For Egypt, the opening day brought the emotion of playing at home and a commanding start. For South Africa, it brought a strong early performance and a team working through the demanding rhythm of the relay. For Zimbabwe and Tunisia, the first day became a test of how they could respond when the scoreboard began moving against them.
And for Mauritius, the waiting continued.
But this is only the opening chapter in Cairo.
The young players have come to Egypt for more than one result. They have come for the rallies, the pressure, the friendships, the lessons and the moments they will remember long after the championship is over.
Those moments are still waiting for them.
