Tennis News of Monday, 7 January 2013

Source: William Dodzi Ezah

Abreba wins GTTA Top Eight Championship

Accra, Jan. 6, GNA – Ghana’s top seed Derek Abrefa, recorded another victory over his main rival Felix Lartey in the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Top Eight Championship at the RLG DG Hathiramani Sports Hall, Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Abrefa, defeated Lartey by three sets to two, in the finals of the competition to win the first ever event organized in the year, by the Association and sponsored by Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited.

Lartey, who lost to Abrefa in the 2012 National Championship, started the finals on a bright note but Abrefa came back strongly to win the first set by 11-7.

Lartey, won the second set by 11-6, but failed again in the third set as he allowed Abrefa to win it by 11-9 in a thrilling game that sent fans at the hall cheering throughout.

Abrefa’s lead was cancelled in the fourth set by 13-11, to keep them at two sets each, but he went ahead to win the very final set by 11-2, as Lartey failed to impress.

C. Baah Danso, defeated Bernice Borquaye to win the Ladies division.

In the veterans championship, Joseph Osei emerged the winner, with Nathaniel Romeo Yaw A. Amoah placing second whilst Emmanuel Bannerman picked the third position.

Mawuko Afadzinu, Vice President of GTTA in an interview said the Association, is keen on promoting the game in schools and colleges as a way making it popular in the country.

He was confident they will be able to unearth more talents to compete for the nation at international competitions.