Table tennis: Dei, Ofori show class

The second edition of the Eric Amoah Table Tennis Foundation National U-15 and Executive Class Championships came to a thrilling climax last Saturday at the rlg Hathiramani Hall with Lawrentia Dei and Emmanuel Ofori emerging tops of the female and male divisions respectively.

Lawrentia made it to the final after surmounting a field of 36 competitors while Emmanuel Ofori’s task was made more difficult as he made it through 91 players.

In a best of three series game in the girls semi-finals , Dei overcame Elizabeth Yeboah from the Greater Accra region by 2-0 while fellow finalist, Matilda Fodu (Ashanti region) was involved in a close encounter with Augustina Baidoo (Central region) which ended 2-0. 

Dei, a student of the Yaa Asantewaa Girls Senior High School, was cheered onto victory by the fans at the venue as she raced into a 3-1 victory over Fodu in a best of five sets match-up.

In the keenly contested boys semi-finals, Emmanuel Ofori defeated his Eastern regional teammate, Ernest Okyere, by 2-0 while Godwin Nyarko upstaged Emmanuel Aboagye 2-0 in the all Central regional clash. 

In the final, Ofori, who came second in the maiden edition last year took the first set by 11-7 only to get pegged back by Nyarko in the second game by 11-8.

However, Ofori was determined not to place second again and rallied to claim the final two games by 11-6 and 11-8, claiming the U-15 boys crown at the second attempt.

Samuel Dei, a staff of the Ministry of Health, defeated Jason Onyameh in the Executive Class final. 

The winners and runners-up of the championships received trophies, tennis equipment and an undisclosed amount for their efforts.