Ghana has ended a 39-year wait for a major African table tennis gold medal after teenagers Israel Aklie and Joanita Borteye produced a historic performance to win the Under-15 Mixed Doubles title at the 2026 African Youth Table Tennis Championships in Accra.
The young Ghanaian pair defeated Tunisia’s Amori Amine and Ela Saidi in the final to secure the gold medal, bringing joy to Ghana’s table tennis community and marking a significant milestone for the sport in the country.
Guided by national coach Robert Amartey, Aklie and Borteye displayed remarkable composure, teamwork and determination throughout the competition before overcoming their Tunisian opponents in the championship match.
Their victory also marked Ghana’s first African table tennis gold medal since 1987.
The achievement ends one of the longest medal droughts in Ghanaian table tennis history. The country’s last major African gold came at the 1987 All-Africa Games in Nairobi, Kenya, where Patricia Offei and Patience Opokuah captured the women’s doubles title.
Since then, Ghanaian players have competed at various continental championships but have been unable to return to the top of the podium.
The latest triumph is being celebrated as a major breakthrough for Ghana’s youth development programme.
In recent years, the Ghana Table Tennis Association has invested in nurturing young talent through grassroots competitions, school sports and international training opportunities.
The success of Aklie and Borteye is seen as evidence that these efforts are beginning to produce results.
The victory also highlights Ghana’s growing competitiveness against some of Africa’s traditional table tennis powerhouses, including Tunisia, Egypt and Nigeria.
Tunisia has consistently produced strong players at both junior and senior levels, making the Ghanaian duo’s victory even more impressive.
