The ITTF Americas Hopes Week & Challenge, which ran from 27 August to 1 September, marked a significant milestone in the 2025 Continental Hopes calendar. With the Americas programme concluded, the cycle moves toward completion ahead of the U11 Championships next week, which will determine the final Continental Hopes position before all regions converge in Sheffield.
The Central American nation embraced its role as host with characteristic enthusiasm, providing what organisers and participants described as exceptional conditions for the week-long programme. Jorge Chacón, President of the Guatemalan Table Tennis Federation, expressed his pride in welcoming the continent’s most promising young players.
“It is a true honour for Guatemala to host the ITTF Americas Hopes Week & Challenge,” Chacón said. “As president and a lifelong advocate for table tennis, I am genuinely thrilled to welcome the best young athletes from across the continent. In the Land of Eternal Spring, we welcome you with open arms.”
The Guatemalan Federation’s preparation and organisation received widespread praise from participants and coaching staff, with the event benefiting from strong support at both federation and governmental levels.
The programme featured international coaches providing participants with access to world-class coaching expertise. The coaching structure created collaborative learning environments where expertise flowed between international coaches and national team mentors, providing comprehensive development opportunities for all participants. Participants from across the Americas embraced the intensive training programme, with many highlighting the cultural exchange and learning opportunities as equally valuable as the technical instruction
The intensive training featured Head Coach Mamata Prabhu, providing participants with access to world-class coaching expertise. Prabhu’s leadership ensured that young players from across the Americas received training standards typically reserved for elite international competition.
ITTF Participation Officer Carlos Esnard praised the overall programme quality: “It has been an incredible experience, with players of great quality, excellent collaboration among the coaches, and an ITTF expert who worked with us in a spectacular way. In my opinion, this is one of the best camps we have had.”
The coaching structure created collaborative learning environments where expertise flowed between international coaches and national team mentors, providing comprehensive development opportunities for all participants
Ecuador’s Thayra Buitrón captured the programme’s spirit: “I had so much fun at this Hopes. I really enjoyed being with my teammates, meeting new people, and learning a lot.”
The diverse continental representation created rich learning environments where different playing styles and cultural approaches to table tennis merged. Mexico’s Andrea Campos noted: “This week at the Hopes has been very fun. I have learned many things and gained a lot from this experience.”
For participants like Honduras’s Jesús Tejada, returning after previous Americas and World Hopes experiences, the Guatemala experience provided continued development: “The experience has been very good, with a lot of high-level play. I have trained well, and I think I have performed well too.”
Head Coach Mamata Prabhu emphasised the multicultural learning environment: “This is a wonderful opportunity to be here, to see so many different cultures, to have different practice partners, to train with players from various nationalities, and finally to enjoy a lot of excitement and fun. I think it is a dream come true.”
Paraguay’s Coach Cielo Mutti observed the high standard of participants: “This has been an incredible experience, being able to see so many children from different countries with such a high level. I can see they are really making the most of the camp, and that makes me very happy.”
The programme created opportunities for coaching staff to share methodologies and approaches, contributing to broader development knowledge across the Americas region.
United States participant Jacob Kordus appreciated the training quality: “It’s a really nice camp, and I like playing against many high-level players.” This sentiment reflected the programme’s success in creating challenging training environments that pushed participants beyond their typical national-level experiences.
Colombia’s Jerónimo Jiménez highlighted the comprehensive development approach: “My experience at this Hopes Americas has been very rewarding. Meeting teammates from other countries allowed me to learn more, and the coaches supported me a lot in improving my table tennis techniques.”
The programme structure prioritised skill development and technical improvement, ensuring participants returned to their home countries with enhanced capabilities and broader understanding of international table tennis standards.
With Guatemala’s week concluded, attention shifts to Sheffield, where participants from continental programmes worldwide will converge for the World Hopes Week & Challenge. The final Continental Hopes position for the Americas will be determined at next week’s U11 Championships, completing the regional selection process.
Guatemala’s role as the final continental host has provided a fitting conclusion to a year of talent identification activities that have spanned continents and cultures, united by the common goal of nurturing the next generation of table tennis excellence.