Youth Table Tennis Stars Light Up Wanderers in Final Instalment of the Arysteq/Simonis Storm Schools Tournament Series
The 6th and final event in the highly acclaimed Arysteq/Simonis Storm Schools Tournament Series took place at 9h00 on 14 September 2024 at the Wanderers Sports Grounds. More than 50 athletes lined up to stake a claim for one of the top 5 places in each age category. Both junior ladies and junior men competed in the under-11, -13, -15, -17, and -19 age categories.
Due to the mid-term break, several schools did not participate. The impact of the Arysteq/Simonis Storm Schools Tournament Series, along with the 4 coaching sessions by Coach Simon Gologolo, contributed significantly to the upliftment of standards. The event on Saturday was no exception, and a few athletes made sure they caught the attention of the coaches and selectors. Jason Kadandara had an exceptional event and collected 3 medals for the day. New talent was also discovered from Olof Palme Primary School, with two newcomers from this school winning medals.
In the boys under-11 category, Carlo Neuhaus joined the battle between Terrence Kadandara and Wilhelm Twyman. Wilhelm just managed to hold on to beat Carlo for the top spot. The bronze medals went to Terrence and Matthias Kapofi, while Killian Beukes was the plate winner. Kelly Zhang was back at her best, beating strong challenges from Olof Palme challengers. Kelly showed why she ranked in the top 4 at the 2023 Regional Hopes Challenge and Championships. The runner-up was another national athlete, Ester Nelenge. Hertha Ponjamba and Rebecca Daniel were the bronze medal winners, and Emilia Aamwama was the plate winner. Apart from Kelly, all other medal winners are learners from Olof Palme.
In the under-13 ladies’ category, Cadence Farmer won by beating Suverasenja Ikorua in the final. Kelly Zhang and Inancia Shiveka won bronze medals, with Sylvi Ikanda taking the plate section. In the boys under-13 category, Kamrouz Ghayouri beat Jason Kadandara to win the title. Daniel Beukes and Fillemon Ikanda won the bronze medals, and Natanael Dayelai secured the plate title.
The battle for the under-15, -17, and -19 titles continues to be a seesaw affair. The junior men's titles are closely contested by Caden Bosman, Kevin Zhang, and Kamrouz Ghayouri, while the ladies’ race is contested by Lian Gebauer, Cadence Farmer, Suverasenja Ikorua, Justina Namupolo, and Karolina Shigwedha.
Lian Gebauer managed to win all the under-15, under-17, and under-19 titles. The runner-ups in each age category were different, indicating the close competition among the top junior ladies. Full results are displayed below.
The three-horse race in the junior boys’ events continues. Kamrouz took top honours in the under-15 age group, while Caden was the winner in the under-17 and under-19 groups. Kevin was the runner-up in the under-15 and under-17 groups, while Kamrouz was the runner-up in the under-19 age group. Complete results are attached.
The NTTA will send under-15 teams to Botswana to participate in a regional under-15 tournament in early December 2024. Trials to select the 6 players will be held in October 2024.
The NTTA thanks the shareholders of Simonis Storm and Arysteq Asset Management for their generous sponsorship, which made this amazing series possible. The gala prize-giving will take place on 05 October 2024. Special thanks also go to the Wanderers Table Tennis Club for providing their venue for these events, and to the management of St Joseph Primary School, DHPS School, and Olof Palme School for their support.