Nigeria, Aug. 3 -- On a day when the continent's top young table tennis stars took to the floor in the 2025 ITTF African Youth Championships, a 12-year-old from Madagascar captured the spotlight with a performance that defied age, odds, and reputation.

Rakotovao Andriamihaja, the youngest competitor in the boys' U-19 category, delivered a fearless display against Nigeria's Matthew Kuti, widely regarded as one of the tournament's favourites, on the opening day of the event.

The result? A 1-3 loss. But the story was never about the scoreline.

From the first serve, Andriamihaja played with a kind of fire rarely seen in players his age.

His diminutive frame stood in stark contrast to 14-year-old Kuti's stature, yet the Madagascan refused ...