Borteye and Aklie are our hopes for the future, says Charles Tachie-Menson

Ghana’s table tennis future looks bright after impressive performances by 13-year-old Joanita Borteye and 11-year-old Israel Aklie at the 2024 International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) African Youth Championships in Gaborone, Botswana.

The talented duo kicked off their campaign by reaching the quarterfinals of the U15 mixed doubles category.

Aklie then showcased his skills in the U15 boys’ singles, progressing smoothly through his group stage before defeating Kenya’s Sayam Jakharia in the Round of 32.

His run ended in a meeting with Egypt’s Abdelmalk Elsayed in the Round of 16.

Borteye, meanwhile, carved a path through the U15 girls’ singles tournament, reaching the semi-finals before bowing out to eventual champion Khadeeja Elhakim of Egypt.

Charles Tachie-Menson, Technical Director of the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), expressed his pride in the young players’ achievements.

“I’m very proud to say that they did very well,” he told asaaseradio.com. “I’m so proud of them as a technical director for the Ghana Table Tennis Association.”

Tachie-Menson was particularly impressed by Aklie’s performance at the 2024 ITTF-Africa Continental Hopes Championship, also held in Botswana.

The young prodigy dominated the competition, defeating opponents from Uganda, Tunisia, Rwanda, Botswana, and South Africa to secure the gold medal and a coveted spot at the 2024 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge in Asuncion, Paraguay.

“Aklie joined the Hopes competition, beat everybody—he beat nine people—[and] came out with gold,” said Menson. “That is very commendable; he did excellently well.”

“Because Aklie got gold, he automatically qualified to go and play in Paraguay, which is a very good thing for Ghana. I’m very proud of that.”

The ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge takes place from 1–7 November, 2024.

The GTTA technical director revealed that Borteye, the second seed in the U15 girls’ singles, may have sustained a leg injury during the competition, potentially impacting her chances of winning gold.

“I wasn’t there [physically], but what I heard was she had a leg injury and that actually affected her performance,” Tachie-Menson explained. “I’m expecting them any time from Wednesday; then I can get to know the details of it but because of the injury, she placed fourth and that hurt us a bit.”

Despite the setback, Tachie-Menson reiterated his belief in the young players. “But I know that their performance is good and they are our hopes for the future,” he concluded.

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