Cynthia Kwabi produced a masterclass in poise and tactics to claim the 2026 GTTA Sheroes 2 Championship title in Accra on Saturday, 14 February.
In a high-stakes final held at the DG Hathiramani Sports Hall, Kwabi defeated Joanita Borteye 4-1 to solidify her status as one of the nation’s premier players.
The victory comes at a pivotal moment for Ghanaian table tennis, with the national team, the Black Loopers, preparing for the world stage this April.
The Valentine’s Day showdown was anything but friendly on the court. Kwabi took an early lead, navigating a tense opening set to win 12-10 before doubling her advantage with a clinical 11-6 second set.
Despite a brief resurgence from Borteye, who clawed back the third set 10-12, Kwabi remained unflappable.
She closed out the match with back-to-back 11-9 scores, showcasing the step-by-step tactical approach she credited for her rise.
Speaking after lifting the trophy, Kwabi explained that her target is always to win and that she had developed a specific game style to overcome her toughest competitors.
She noted that she felt no pressure during the final because she had carefully studied the performances of her peers, concluding that she had trained sufficiently to ensure victory.
The final standings saw Kwabi take the gold, with Joanita Borteye finishing as the runner-up.
Hilda Agbottah, who pushed Kwabi to a 4-2 scoreline in the semi-finals, secured third place, while the defending champion, Augustina Baidoo, finished in fourth position.
While Kwabi celebrated, runner-up Joanita Borteye remained defiant, viewing the defeat as a stepping stone toward international glory.
Borteye stated that her ultimate dream is to achieve an Olympic medal and a World Championship medal, adding that she has seen significant improvements in her game despite the loss.
She expressed her determination to show the world that Ghana and Africa possess elite table tennis talent.
The tournament also saw a shift in the guard as Augustina Baidoo admitted the results did not go her way this time.
Baidoo attributed the finish to hard luck rather than complacency, noting that she knew every player would be training specifically to beat her.
Meanwhile, Hilda Agbottah expressed her gratitude to the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) and its executives for organising the event, highlighting that the rising standards are pushing her to build the points necessary for international selection.
The domestic brilliance on display in Accra serves as a vital warm-up for the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals, set to take place in London from 28 April to 10 May.
Ghana’s female national team, the Black Loopers, face a formidable challenge after being drawn against Puerto Rico, Austria, and Angola.
The global tournament will be split between two of London’s most iconic venues: the OVO Arena Wembley and the Copper Box Arena.
For the players in Accra, every domestic point earned is a step closer to securing a spot on the plane to the United Kingdom.
Attention now shifts to the “Show Time” edition of the Sheroes Series, scheduled for 21 February 2026 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
With rankings shifting and the World Championships looming, the battle for supremacy among Ghana’s finest female players is set to intensify.
