The Ghana Table Tennis Association [GTTA] is sharpening its focus on the future, hosting a specialized Under-12 clinic for 30 players at the Accra Sports Stadium on June 26, 2026. The session comes with the ITTF-Africa Hopes Championship fast approaching, with Ghana set to host the continental event at the Borteyman Sports Complex from July 13.
According to GTTA Technical Director, Charles Tachie-Menson Jnr, the clinic was designed as a full selection exercise for the upcoming tournament.
“The GTTA organized a training for under 12 players. The whole idea is to see how best we take part in the hopes challenge which is going to take place from the 13th of July,” Tachie-Menson said.
Players went through a structured program: off-board warm-ups, technical work on forehand strokes, backhand strokes, and blocks, before moving into a mini competition.
“That mini competition is to determine the players we’re going to select. We are looking for two boys and then two girls. Thank God we are towards the end. Some names are out,” he added.
One challenge emerged during registration. Some players turned up believing “12 years” was the limit, but ITTF’s “Under-12” rule is strict.
“The little issue we had, however, had to do with some of the ages… you have to be under 12. What it means is that you should have been born 2015 or later and so we had a little discrepancy there,” the Technical Director explained.
The Hopes selection is just one item on GTTA’s packed schedule. The association is also preparing for the Youth Championships, the Youth Cup, and the African Cup, all slated for July.
“We are looking forward to also organize some kind of justification for the youth championships that’s also coming in July and then the youth cup. We also have this African Cup also coming up. So we have quite a number of competitions on our menu,” Tachie-Menson noted.
With football dominating headlines during the World Cup season, the GTTA is asking the media and public to rally behind the sport.
“We are looking forward to seeing that you guys will also come and help us, just let these people get to know about what is going on here. And then we can also have some kind of spectators,” Tachie-Menson pleaded.
“At this stage, when the World Cup is going on and people are so concentrated on football, we want to at least make sure that we move their minds also to table tennis. And so we need the support of everybody.”
With 30 young players already put through their paces and four spots at stake for the ITTF-Africa Hopes, Ghana’s table tennis pipeline is officially in motion on home soil.
