The UKCTTA National Championship 2024 report
UKCTTA National Championships 2024: A Showcase of Talent and Competition
The UKCTTA National Championships 2024 captivated table tennis enthusiasts with an impressive display of skill and determination.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of the event, the championships were extended over two Sundays.
On June 2nd, the spotlight was on the Ladies, U17, and U13 categories at the prestigious Morpeth Table Tennis Academy, located at Morpeth School. The young prodigies in the U13 category dazzled the audience with their remarkable prowess. Charlton Ngitngit emerged victorious in the U13 event, demonstrating exceptional talent and tenacity, while Ray Nieminen earned the well-deserved runner-up position with a commendable performance, closely followed for the 3rd place, was Tejasri Narula.
In the U17 category, Maliha Baig triumphed as the winner, showcasing her exceptional skills and dedication.
The runner-up, Max Yeung, also delivered a strong performance, highlighting the depth of talent in this category.
The excitement continued on June 9th with the men's event, which started promptly at 10 am at the same venue. The competition commenced with 12 tables for the group matches, featuring a round-robin system with 7 to 8 players in each group. Four players from each group advanced to the knockout stage, comprising 16 players.
The men's event featured well-known players, including Radoslav Kamberov, Ching Jay Law, Victor Guang Shi, Abdullah Ubaidullah, Hassan El Kakkour, and Munib Ahmad, who were all seeded. Unfortunately, Tianyi Yu could not progress from his group.
At the top of the elimination fixture, Abdullah Ubaidullah won his first match against Jack Langer comfortably but faced a tough challenge against Hassan El Kakkour in the next round. Their match extended to the fifth game, with Hassan ultimately prevailing 11-7. From the bottom of the fixture, Radoslav Kamberov advanced through Gianluca Lucchin and Munib Ahmad to reach the semi-final.
Victor Guang Shi, from the second half of the fixture, defeated Jaycee Chan and Ho Yin Tam in the quarter-final, setting up a formidable semi-final clash with Radoslav Kamberov. Meanwhile, the expert player Ching Jay Law overcame Vuong and Maliha Baig, who was the only female player in this category, defeating Abdul Raqueeb in a gruelling five-game match before conceding to Ching Jay Law.
One of the tournament's highlights was the quarter-final match between Hassan El Kakkour and Abdullah Ubaidullah, which Hassan won 11-7 in the fifth game. In the semi-final, Victor Guang Shi and Radoslav Kamberov battled fiercely, with Radoslav ultimately winning 3-2. At the top of the fixture, Ching Jay Law and Hassan El Kakkour fought intensely, with Hassan showing remarkable persistence and bravery but lost 2-3.
The battle for the 3rd and 4th place was between Victor Guang Shi and Hassan El Kakkour, with Victor emerging victorious, defeating Hassan 3-0.
In the final match, Radoslav Kamberov faced Ching Jay Law. Radoslav delivered a surprisingly dominant performance, defeating Ching Jay 3-0 to claim the championship.
Morpeth Table Tennis Academy proved to be the perfect venue for this prestigious event, providing a vibrant atmosphere for players and spectators alike. The 2024 championships were a resounding success, celebrating the sport of table tennis and inspiring future generations of players.
Stay tuned for more updates and highlights from the world of table tennis.