Table Tennis: 20-year-old wins 2023 Tamale Open

Correspondence from Northern Region

20-year-old Marfo James has emerged winner of the 2023 Tamale Open held in the Northern Regional capital on Saturday.

The young table tennis player beat experienced player and trainer, Kinful Lord in a keenly contested final held at the Tamale Senior High School Table Tennis Court, to be crowned the Champion of the Tamale Open.

Antwi Francis and Richard Ofori finished third and fourth respectively in the men’s competition.

In the female division, 2022 champion, Eva Adom-Amankwa failed to defend her title after finishing with a bronze medal at the championship.

Veteran player, Lt Col Cecilia Frema of the Ghana Army lost 3-2 in a dramatic final to this year’s Women Champion, Augustina Baidoo of the 64 Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Armed Forces base in Tamale.

It looked certain Lt Col Frema was set to win gold before the young Augustina Baidoo turned around the game to beat her to the prestigious title.

Blessing Labanti finished fourth in the women’s division.

This year’s Tamale Open was organized by the Ghana Table Tennis Association and sponsored by Stanbic Bank Ghana and brought together over 15 players from across the country to compete in the championship.

For the first time, the Tamale Open saw huge crowds watching the thrilling games which were played for more than six hours.

Organizers said they hoped that young people in Tamale and other parts of the country would take up the challenge of learning the game, saying that the Table Tennis Association was ready to groom more talents for the game.