Farmer, Ghayouri claim junior national crowns
Cadence Farmer and Kamrouz Ghayouri were crowned junior national table tennis champions in Windhoek last weekend.
The pair won the U19 singles titles at the National Junior Table Tennis Championships, which drew 26 players to Wanderers Sports Hall to battle it out for top honours across the boys’ and girls’ U19, U15 and U12 age categories.
Competing in the girls’ U19 section, which was played in a round-robin format, Farmer’s title run saw her overcome Kelly Zhang in straight games, winning 3-0 (11-3, 11-3, 11-3), before beating Karolina Shigwedha 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-8).
Her toughest test came against Justina Namupolo, who pushed her to a tightly contested four-game contest, but Farmer prevailed 3-1 (11-2, 4-11, 11-8, 12-10) to stay on course for the overall title.
Farmer claimed gold ahead of Shigwedha, who finished second to secure silver, while Namupolo took bronze.
The girls’ U19 champion later stormed to victory once more in the girls’ U15 section to secure double gold at the event. Finishing behind her in the girls’ U15 section was Zhang, who claimed silver.
The girls’ U15 bronze medals went to Sabina Shaanika and Esther Nelenge.
Organisers confirmed that players may compete above their age categories, as befitting their level of competition.
Not her first double gold
Reflecting on claiming double gold, Farmer welcomed the victory, noting that she had achieved the feat before.
“It feels really good to achieve this feat again at a national championship. It’s rewarding to see the results of your training, especially if it pans out exactly how you had planned, which is what happened at this tournament,” she said.
Farmer now has her sights set on competing at an open table tennis tournament in South Africa and the African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region Five Table Tennis Championships, to be held in Zimbabwe from 10 to 12 July.
“Unlike this tournament, where I did not struggle much with my opponents, the competition at the events in South Africa and Zimbabwe will be much higher, but I am sure I will enjoy it all the same,” she noted.
Farmer also has her sights set on the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in New Delhi, India, from 27 July to 2 August at the Thyagaraj Stadium.
Ghayouri’s title run
Competing in the boys’ U19 category, Ghayouri dominated the group stage by beating Daniel Beukes 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-7), before overcoming Sakaria Imbondi in a four-game contest, winning 3-1 (10-12, 11-5, 11-8, 11-3).
At the quarter-final stage, Ghayouri was pushed to another four-game contest by Jason Kadandara, but held on to win 3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7) and advance to the semi-finals.
There, he came from a game down to beat Silas Anguku in another four-game contest, winning 3-1 (6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8).
The final between Ghayouri and Kevin Zhang once again kept the audience on the edge of their seats, as Ghayouri recovered from a game down to claim the title 3-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-7).
The boys’ U19 singles champion is fresh from a one-month high-performance training camp in China, an experience he described as eye-opening.
“Watching how young athletes train six hours a day with the single-minded objective of becoming the best was inspiring. That environment pushed me to raise my own standards,” he said.
Coming through four-game tests
He added that the experience made him more consistent in rallies, improved his hitting power and sharpened his overall style of play, which helped him come through several four-game matches to claim victory.
“Winning the U19 gold medal feels really good. It’s a rewarding moment after all the hard work and preparation. It has motivated me to keep pushing myself to reach even higher levels,” he said.
Ghayouri now has his sights set on the Namibian Table Tennis Open Tournament on 27 June at Wanderers Sports Hall, the Region Five event in Zimbabwe and the African Youth Table Tennis Championships in Ghana from 20 to 27 July.
“I am confident the training I received in China, [which focused on a] fast and aggressive style, will show even more impact as I take on these competitions, where intensity is at an all-time high,” he said.
Finishing behind Ghayouri was Zhang, who took silver, while Agape Chicalu and Anguku claimed the bronze medals.
Other champions
Boys’ U15: 1 Chicalu, 2 Ghayouri, 3 Imbondi and Anguku.
Boys’ U12: 1 Terence Kadandara, 2 Immanuel Hishidimwa, 3 Christian Iita, aged five.
Girls’ U12: 1 Nelenge, 2 Sabina Shaanika, 3 Celine Mbangula and Maya Mbangula.
Boys’ doubles: 1 Ghayouri/Chicalu, 2 Farmer/Zhang, 3 Anguku/Fillemon Ikanda.
Girls’ doubles: 1 Namupolo/Shigwedha, 2 Nelenge/Shaanika, 3 Celine Mbangula/Maya Mbangula.
Mixed doubles: 1 Farmer/Caden Bosman, 2 Chicalu/Shaanika, 3 Beukes/Shigwedha.
Family affair
In a statement, Namibia Table Tennis Association (NTTA) vice-president Taschiona !Gawaxab said the tournament is a highlight on the sport’s calendar, as it is a ranking event.
“It plays a decisive role in selecting the very best athletes for international competitions. The level is very high as the crème de la crème of the country in the sport emerge here,” she said.
“One of the highlights from the event was witnessing family affairs, as the Mbangula sisters, Celine and Maya, as well as brothers Christian Iita and Kamrouz Ghayouri, all made their mark with podium finishes.”
