The 2026 Gauteng North Table Tennis Open, widely regarded as arguably the best tournament of its kind in South Africa, wrapped up an exceptional four-day run last week at the Jonibach Sport Centre in Pretoria North.

The prestigious P1 ranking event drew 221 players from across South Africa and neighbouring countries, delivering world-class competition across all categories.

This event attracted 221 players – 163 men and 58 women – representing 12 affiliates spanning the length and breadth of Southern Africa. Competitors travelled from as far as Namibia, Cape Town, the Eastern Cape, and Durban to compete in Pretoria, which is testament to the tournament’s growing national prestige.

Host affiliate Gauteng North led the field with 88 entries, followed by Johannesburg with 73 players. The KwaZulu-Natal contingent was well represented, with Umgungundlovu contributing 19 athletes and Zululand 4, while Ekurhuleni sent 13 players and the Free State 8.

True to its inclusive spirit, the 2026 Gauteng North Open catered to the full spectrum of table tennis talent. Events spanned senior men’s and women’s singles, junior singles from u.11 through u.19 (boys and girls), masters categories for players over 35, 40, 50, 60, and 70 open doubles events.

A comprehensive Para category encompassing disabled, deaf, DS, and TT-class athletes was also part of the action, a fact that reinforced the tournament’s reputation as a truly national, all-inclusive event.

The senior events produced some of the most compelling table tennis seen at the tournament, with well-known national player Terrence Mathole claiming the senior men’s singles gold and Zodwa Maphanga (Gauteng North) taking the senior women’s title.

In the juniors, the Umgungundlovu affiliate shone brightly. Kritika Totaram won the u.19 girls title. Syriana Sivnannan won both the u.11 and u.13 girls titles, while Diyaan Ramchurran swept both u.13 and u.11 Boys golds, making him one of the standout performers of the tournament.

In the Masters, Abdul Hay (JTTA) demonstrated exceptional class by clinching gold in both the men’s over 40 and over 50 singles. The women’s masters over 35 title went to Sameera Maal (JTTA). The Para events saw Nqubeko Mamba (Zululand) take gold in the TT11 men’s singles, while Samantha Utabwarova (JTTA) won the TT11 Women’s title.

Thanks to modern technology, the entire tournament could be streamed on YouTube, allowing fans from around the globe to follow the action online.

The smooth running of the event was made possible by a dedicated team of officials like Jean Martin (Tournament Director), Jose da Silva (Tournament Referee) and Vivek Singh (and Competition Manager). These experienced administrators were able to oversee all operations, ensuring competition integrity and smooth logistical arrangements across all events.

The Jonibach Sport Centre once again proved an outstanding host venue, providing the facilities and environment befitting a P1 ranking event.

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