by Olalekan Okusan, ITTF Africa, Press Officer

Now Derek Abrefa has another goal in his sights; he will compete in the 2017 World University Games to be staged in Chinese Taipei from Saturday 19th to Sunday 30th August.

Following the 2015 African Games, Derek Abrefa secured a scholarship to study at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana and has gained one of the three places available which enable participation in Chinese Taipei.

Born in Accra, the 25 year old won the Men’s Singles title at the recent 7th Mini Ghana University Sports Association Games, hosted by the University of Cape Coast.

Staged from Tuesday 3rd to Thursday 13th January, the event celebrated the 50th anniversary of the multi-sport competition; additional to the University of Cape Coast, the organisations which took part were the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Education, Winneba and the University of Energy.

“This is my first World University Games and I hope to give my best to prove myself as well as make my school and country proud. I must also admit that it promises to be tough as top players from Europe and Asia will compete at the Championship but I am hopeful of a good performance in Chinese Taipei,” Derek Abrefa

Most notably, Derek Abrefa has a source of motivation from a player he never saw in action. He is encouraged by Ethel Jacks, winner of the Women’s Singles title at the 1964, 1968 and 1974 African Championships, as well as at the 1973 African Games.

“When I was growing up, I heard Ghana was a great table tennis nation and we had star players like Ethel Jacks and others who were terrors in Africa. I want to be like them”, Derek Abrefa

Derek Abrefa will be joined in the table tennis event in Chinese Taipei, a competition in which 22 sport participate, by William Asare, also from the University of Cape Coast and Simon Danso of University of Ghana.