Record 80 Players Compete at Windhoek Schools Ping Pong Season Opener
St Paul's College's Kamrouz Ghayouri swept gold in three age categories as a record 80 players made the Windhoek schools series opener its first-ever two-day event.
The 2026 Arysteq/Simonis Storm Schools Table Tennis Series opened on March 13-14 at the Wanderers Sports Hall in Pioneerspark, Windhoek, drawing a record 80 competitors across five age divisions and forcing organisers to stage the event over two full days for the first time in the tournament's history.
The 80 entries, split between 53 boys and 27 girls competing from Under-11 through Under-19, marked the largest field the series has ever seen. Live online scoring connected families and supporters to the action in real time, a logistical step that reflected how seriously the organisers are taking the tournament's expansion.
St Paul's College's Kamrouz Ghayouri was the story of the weekend. He claimed gold in the Boys U19, U17, and U15 categories, with his St Paul's teammate Agape Chicalu collecting silver in all three. In the U19 final, Jason Kadandara and Highland High School's Fillemon Ikanda took bronze. The U17 bronze medals went to Ikanda and Silas Anguku of Hage Geingob High School, while the U15 bronzes were shared by Kadandara and Anguku. The near-total dominance of St Paul's across the boys' upper divisions was unmistakable.
On the girls' side, Lian Gebauer of Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek claimed the U19 gold, with Cadence Farmer of St Paul's College taking silver. Karolina Shigwedha of Ella Du Plessis and Suverasaneje Ikorua of Concordia College each earned bronze.
The youngest competitors produced their own standout moments. Killian Beukes of St Joseph's Primary won the Boys U11 title, ahead of Handura Unondjamo of The Gardener Academy and Daniel Petrus of Olof Palme. The Girls U11 division was won by Nelengé, with Ikanda in second and Victoria Namuplo of Olof Palme third.
Tournament director Theo Beukes credited the sponsors for enabling the event's growth. "Their support has been the backbone of this event's growth and innovation," he said of Arysteq and Simonis Storm, who are backing the series for the fourth consecutive year.
Development officer Wayne Green was pictured alongside the U19 medalists, Fillemon Ikanda, Jason Kadandara, Agape Chicalu, and Kamrouz Ghayouri, at the medal presentation.
The second tournament of the 2026 series is scheduled for April, with exact dates still to be confirmed.
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