Schools table tennis awards top performers

Hilma Nalupe

The Arysteq Simonis Storm Schools Tournament Series has grown significantly in school participation and player numbers since its 2023 launch, with organisers now targeting national expansion over the next three to five years.

The series held its 2026 prize-giving ceremony in Windhoek on Saturday, recognising school players who excelled throughout the season.

Tournament series coordinator Theo Beukes said the event recognised players for their performances throughout the year, with approximately 30 players receiving prizes and ranking points across 10 categories.

Beukes said the 2026 season had produced several new winners and podium finishers, a development he believes reflects the growing competitiveness of school table tennis in Namibia.

The series was launched in partnership with the Namibia Table Tennis Association (NTTA) to promote the sport among school-age boys and girls and to increase participation across age groups. Since its inception, the competition has expanded from four tournaments annually to six, while the average number of players per tournament has increased from 54 in 2023 to 78 in 2026.

According to the programme, 24 schools had players participating this year, compared with eight in 2023. Government school participation also rose from three schools at the launch to 16 this year.

Beukes said the growth had significantly changed how tournaments were organised.

“Four years ago, we started with 37 kids per tournament. Now we have an average of 78 kids per tournament. We must play over two days to finish a tournament, whereas we used to finish in a few hours,” he said.

The programme has also maintained female participation, with girls accounting for 38% of players this year. However, organisers noted that further work is needed to encourage more schools, particularly government schools, to formally adopt table tennis.

The series has introduced younger age groups, expanded coaching initiatives and strengthened its competition structure.

Looking ahead, organisers are planning a three-year strategy with the NTTA to expand the competition nationally, strengthen school-based programmes, develop coaches and technical officials, and improve infrastructure.

Beukes said interest from schools that have not previously participated was encouraging ahead of the 2027 season.

“We hope for the best, and then we can continue 2027 into a three-year plan, and then hopefully we should be in all over the country in three to five years,” he said.

The 2026 junior competition season has concluded, with organisers expecting activities to resume in January or February next year.

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