The Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) says it is stepping up preparations ahead of major continental competitions, expressing optimism that Ghana can secure medals when it hosts the ITTF-Africa Hopes Championship later this month at the Borteyman Sports Complex.
According to the GTTA, a series of nationwide age-group selection tournaments have been completed to identify the country’s most promising young table tennis talents for international duty.
Technical Director of the association, Mr Charles Tachie-Menson Jnr, said the GTTA had organised competitions across the Under-12, Under-15 and Under-19 categories to ensure a fair and competitive selection process.
He explained that the exercise was designed to ensure only the best-performing athletes are selected to represent Ghana at upcoming tournaments.
He expressed satisfaction with the process, noting that the structured selection events reflected the steady growth of table tennis in the country.
Mr Tachie-Menson also acknowledged the support of stakeholders, including the media and GTTA leadership, in promoting the sport.
He further appealed to corporate Ghana to support the association financially as it prepares to host several international competitions, stressing that the cost of organisation remains high.
He said venues such as the Accra Sports Stadium, the University of Ghana Stadium and the Borteyman Sports Complex were being considered for different events, with final decisions dependent on logistics and attendance considerations.
While describing the Borteyman Sports Complex as a world-class facility, he noted that its distance from the city centre could affect spectator turnout.
The GTTA Technical Director urged the public to attend the upcoming competitions and support Ghana’s young athletes, expressing confidence in the team’s medal prospects.
He revealed that Ghana has been allocated six slots in the Under-15 and Under-19 categories and expects strong performances from the selected players.
As part of preparations, the GTTA has already held a specialised Under-12 training clinic involving more than 30 players at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The programme included physical conditioning, technical drills and a mini tournament to select two boys and two girls to represent Ghana at the ITTF-Africa Hopes Championship scheduled for July 13.
Despite minor challenges with age eligibility during registration, the association said the selection process was successfully concluded.
The GTTA added that beyond the Hopes Championship, preparations are also underway for other continental competitions, including the African Youth Championships, Youth Cup and African Cup, all set for July.
The association has meanwhile appealed for increased media coverage of table tennis to boost public interest and attract greater support for the sport.
