Ghana’s U-15 Table Tennis Team Secures Bronze as Ace National Junior Tennis Camp Bolsters Youth Development in Accra

Ghana’s youth sports landscape is witnessing a significant boost as the national Under-15 Boys’ table tennis team secured a bronze medal at the 2026 ITTF-Africa Youth Championships held in Accra. This achievement coincides with a renewed focus on grassroots development in lawn tennis, spearheaded by the Africa Sports Alliance (ASA) through its month-long Ace National Junior Camp. Both initiatives underscore a growing commitment to nurturing young talent and establishing Ghana as a competitive force in continental and international sports.

The U-15 table tennis team’s path to the podium was marked by resilience and tactical skill. Under the guidance of coach Robert Amartey, the squad—comprising Aklie Prince, Aklie Israel, Issah Hamza, and Fredrick Mensah—overcame an early defeat to Egypt to bounce back with a crucial victory over Benin. The team advanced to the knockout stages, where they triumphed over Tunisia in the quarter-finals before narrowly falling to Nigeria in a hard-fought semi-final. This bronze medal finish highlights the effectiveness of current youth development programs in table tennis and showcases the potential of Ghana’s emerging stars.

Parallel to this success on the table, the Africa Sports Alliance is working to bridge the gap in lawn tennis development through the Ace National Junior Camp. Hosted at the Accra Lawn Tennis Club from July 18 to August 17, the camp is supported by the Baafour Asiamah–Adjei Trust and the Afful Foundation. The program focuses on 60 selected players in the Under-10 and Under-14 categories, aiming to refine their physical and mental strength while simultaneously improving the technical standards of local coaches.

Founder Naa Shika Adu emphasized that the initiative is designed to create a supportive ecosystem where young players can thrive and eventually compete at the international level. Under the expert tutelage of ATP player Tudor Diaconu, the camp fosters a community-centered sports economy that promotes discipline and leadership. These collective efforts in both table tennis and lawn tennis signal a strategic shift toward structured talent pipelines, ensuring that the next generation of Ghanaian athletes is well-equipped to achieve sustained success on the global stage.