Faraji to continue preparation in Japan ahead of Youth Olympics
Iranian young table tennis star Benyamin Faraji is undergoing a crucial one-month training camp in Japan as he prepares for the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics – starting October 31 in Dakar, Senegal.
Faraji will remain in the country for another month before returning to Iran, ISNA reported.
Faraji earned his place at the multi-sport event after winning a bronze medal at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain and securing a spot among the world’s top 10 under-19 players in the latest ITTF World Rankings.
Faraji was also part of the Iranian trio – alongside Amirhossein Hodaei and Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi-Taher – that won the men’s team silver medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh last November. He then teamed up with Mousavi-Taher for a bronze in the doubles event in the Saudi capital.
While Faraji continues his intensive preparations in one of table tennis’s powerhouse nations, attention now turns to the Iranian Table Tennis Federation’s plans for his pre-Olympic schedule. It remains to be seen what friendly matches or warm-up competitions will be arranged to ensure he arrives in Senegal in peak form.
The fourth edition of the Games will take place across 25 competitive sporting events in three host cities of Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly.