Accra 2023: Egypt sweeps gold medals in Table Tennis men’s, women’s singlesAfrican Games: Ghana qualifies for round 16 after defeating Uganda 3-2

Egypt demonstrated her supremacy in African table tennis as they won gold in the men's and women's singles at the ongoing 13th African Games being hosted in Ghana. Egypt's Mohamed Assar Omar picked up the gold medal in a very frenetic contest, with Nigeria's Aruna Quadri edging the latter 4-3 in the finals of the men's singles. The two table tennis players demonstrated why they are the two top seeds in Africa after playing some magnificent table tennis, with fans left ecstatic at the Accra International Conference Centre. Nigeria's Aruna took an early 2-1 lead in the contest, showcasing his powerful forearm shoots, which caused the Egyptians lots of problems. But Omar adjusted very well to Aruna's dominance and staged a late comeback to win the contest in an emotional and pulsating affair. The women's singles final also saw two Egyptians, Hana Goda and Dina Meshref, lock horns in a very fascinating encounter after easily sailing through to the grand finale. Hana Goda, who is Africa's top table tennis se ed, dominated her counterpart to pick the gold, while Meshref settled for the silver medal. Speaking to GNA Sports after her win, Hana Goda, who won the set 4-2, expressed her delight at being the first winner of the gold medal at the games. 'I am very excited about the win because it was a very difficult encounter. We know each other very well, having played in the finals of four major African championships. 'When I took the 3-0 lead, she started to play very well, and she didn't give up until the end, so I was very grateful that I finished her up in the last set,' she said. The two bronze medals in the men's single category were won by Diaw Ibrahima (Senegal) and Mohamed El-Beiali (Egypt). In the women's category, Lucie Mobarek from Algeria and Effong Edem picked up the two bronze medals. The table tennis competition continues on Wednesday with mix and team doubles and is expected to end on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Source: Ghana News Agency Ghana's female national Table Tennis team - Black Loopers have qualified for the round of 16 after beating their Ugandan counterparts 3-2 at the on-going 13 African Games in Accra International Conference Centre. The hard-fought victory puts Ghana a step away from winning its first medal at the African Games 2023. They would be playing South Africa on Thursday in a crucial encounter for a place in the semi-finals. However, the team lost to reigning African champions Egypt, before displaying a spirited performance to advance to the next stage of the competition. 13-year old Juanita Borteye defeated Shanitah Namaala 3-0 while Cynthia Kwabi beat Judith Nangonzi 3-0. Celia Baah-Danso also beat Jemimah Kakawala 3-2, but Cynthia Kwabi and Celia Baah-Danso had earlier lost a game each to their Ugandan opponents. Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, and Tunisia have also booked their spots in the semifinal. Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, and Tunisia have booked their spots in the semifinal round of the event after top ping their groups while they await the second-place teams in the four groups to determine the semifinal pairing. In the men's team category, Egypt emerged leader in group A, after beating Ethiopia and Gabon 3-0 each, while Nigeria, drawn in group B alongside DR Congo and Mauritania had a 3-0 win over the two teams to top the group. Algeria also beat Angola and Guinea with a 3-0 margin to progress to the last eight, while Tunisia defeated Cote d'Ivoire and Kenya to progress. Madagascar edged Ghana and Sudan to join the League of the Elite Teams in the quarterfinal. Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, and Tunisia have booked their spots in the semifinal round of the event after topping their groups while they await the second-place teams in the four groups to determine the semifinal pairing. Play resumes on Thursday 7th March at the Accra International Conference Centre where Table Tennis matches are taking place. Source: Ghana News Agency