Chen and Lemmon secure their place at ITTF World Hopes Week

September 21, 2025 | Connor Whitehead

12 boys and 12 girls who are aged under 12 on the international calendar headed to Sheffield to compete in the first ever England Hopes Week Challenge Cup. Where the winner of the boys and girls event are rewarded with a wildcard place at the upcoming ITTF World Hopes Week, held at the EIS in Sheffield, 13-19 October 2025.

The event got under way with the boys and girls split into three groups of four, with Lusio Wen and Amber Lemmon seeded number one in the event, due to their national ranking, with the rest of the groups determined by a snake seeding system.

In the girls event each of the top seed three seeded players (Amber Lemmon, Serene Rahmani-Walentynska and Cindy Xiao) advanced through group stage 2, where players will play for positions 1-3, each with avoiding going to the fifth end in the group stage.

The boys event however was much more complex. Lusio Wen was the winner of group one, overcoming Li Hao Chen 3-1 in his tightest battle. Sai Prasanna Kumar was seeded first in group 2 and looked set to qualify, until an inspired comeback from Lev Sahmurov where the latter took the match 12-10 in the fifth. In group 3, Jayden Xuan Chen, seeded second came out on top, but not without many group stage battles, coming from 2-0 down to defeat Christopher Darby, followed by a hard fought 3-1 win over both Oliver Glowacki and top seeded Malek Shamakh.

With the players now split into 4 groups of three players, based on their group 1 finishing position, each player was battling it out for their final positions. Boys Group 1 saw Jayden Xuan Chen come out on top, defeating Lev Sahmurov and Lusio Wen both by a 3-0 scoreline, which secured his place at the upcoming ITTF World Hopes Week. Lusio Wen finished the event as Challenge Cup runner up with a 3-1 victory over Sahmurov over turning a 1-0 deficit to take the match 3-1.

Li Hao Chen secured fourth place overall and top spot in Boys Group 2. The group got off to a quick start with Malek Shamakh defeating Sai Prasanna Kumar 3-0, Li Hao Chen then defeated Prasanna Kumar 3-1 before a clash to decide 4-5 positions; it was Chen who came out on top 3-0 over Shamakh.
Ronan Lamont Tierney secured 7th place in Group 3, and almost made it into group 2, losing out to Group 2 winner Li Hao Chen 3-2, in the very first fixture of the day. Lamont-Tierney won 2 from 2 over Lancastrian compatriots, defeating Stefan Wierszllowski 3-1 and Oliver Glowacki 3-0. It was Wierszllowski who finished in 8th with a 3-1 victory over Glowacki.

In the battle for positions 10-12, there was only one match to be played, due to the withdrawal of Zachariah Sarri. 10th place went to Luton TTC youngster Christopher Darby who overcame Jonti Barnes 3-1.

In the girls event, Amber Lemmon joined her Archway Peterborough teammate in securing her place at the ITTF World Hopes Week, as she defeated teammate Cindy Xiao and Serene Rahmani-Walentynska to secure top spot. It was Xiao who finished runner up, as she overcame third placed Serene Rahmani-Walentynska 3-1.

Bethany Yang pushed the winner Amber Lemmon to the limit in the initial group stage, before she finished her Challenge Cup campaign on a high in fourth place with victories over Isabella Xiao Xu and Phoebe O’Brien. Xiao Xu defeated O’Brien in three straight games in the opening fixture on the afternoon group stage, which enabled her to finish 5th, with O’Brien in 6th place.

Mindy Gao overcame twin sister Mila Gao to finish third in Group Stage 1, and continued her winning ways in Group Stage 2, with wins over Sakinah Damji and Shreya Popat to finish in 7th position. Sakinah Damji secured an 8th place finish with a strong 3-0 victory over Popat.

As the girls battled for final positions 10-12, Kingfisher club mates Rabani Ahluwaila and Swara Mahabhashyan went head to head; with Ahluwaila coming out on top 3-0. Mila Gao then defeated Mahabhashyan 3-1, before a close battle between Gao and Ahluwaila for 10th place, with the Ormesby youngster, Gao, coming out on top 11-7 in the decider.

Final Positions –
Boys – Jayden Xuan Chen, Lusio Wen, Lev Shamurov, Li Hao Chen, Malek Shamakh, Sai Prasanna Kumar, Ronan Lamont-Tierney, Stefan Wierszllowski, Oliver GÅ‚owacki, Christopher Darby, Jonti Barnes, Zachariah Sarri.
Girls – Amber Lemmon, Cindy Xiao, Serene Rahmani-Walentynska, Bethany Yang, Isabella Xiao Xu, Phoebe O’Brien, Mindy Gao, Sakinah Damji, Shreya Popat, Mila Gao, Rabani Ahluwaila, Swara Mahabhashyan.

Group Stage 1 Results –

Boys Group 1
Li Hao Chen bt Ronan Lamont Tierney 3-2 (9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5)
Lusio Wen bt Jonti Barnes 3-0 (11-3,11-7, 11-8)
Li Hao Chen bt Jonti Barnes 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-6)
Lusio Wen bt Ronan Lamont Tierney 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 12-10)
Ronan Lamont Tierney bt Jonti Barnes 3-1 (11-3, 4-11, 11-8, 11-8)
Lusio Wen bt Li Hao Chen 3-1 (11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7)

Boys Group 2
Lev Sahmurov bt Zacharia Sarri 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-7)
Sai Prasanna Kumar bt Stefan Wierszyllowski 3-0 (11-9, 11-3, 13-11)
Lev Sahmurov bt Stefan Wierszyllowski 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-9)
Lev Sahmurov bt Sai Prasanna Kumar 3-2 (4-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10)
Zacharia Sarri withdrawn with injury.

Boys Group 3
Jayden Xuan Chen bt Christopher Darby 3-2 (9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8)
Malek Shamakh bt Oliver GÅ‚owacki 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-6)
Jayden Xuan Chen bt Oliver Glowacki 3-1 (12-10, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8)
Malek Shamakh bt Christopher Darby 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-6)
Oliver GÅ‚owacki bt Christopher Darby 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 14-12)
Jayden Xuan Chen bt Malek Shamakh 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7)

Girls Group 1
Bethany Yang bt Mindy Gao 3-1 (11-7, 11-7, 11-8)
Amber Lemmon bt Mila Gao 3-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-5)
Bethany Yang bt Mila Gao 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-5)
Amber Lemmon bt Mindy Gao 3-0 (11-0, 11-6, 11-5)
Mindy Gao bt Mila Gao (11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7)
Amber Lemmon bt Bethany Yang (11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7)

Girls Group 2
Isabella Xiao Xu bt Sakinah Damji 3-1 (13-11, 11-13, 11-4, 11-5)
Serene Rahmani-Walentynska bt Swara Mahabhashyan 3-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-5)
Isabella Xiao Xu bt Swara Mahabhashyan 3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-2)
Serene Rahmani-Walentynska bt Sakinah Damji 3-1 (11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9)
Sakinah Damji bt Swara Mahabhashyan 3-0 (11-9, 11-3, 11-7)
Serene Rahmani-Walentynska bt Isabella Xiao Xu 3-1 (11-8, 11-4, 10-12, 11-7)

Girls Group 3
Phoebe O’Brien bt Shreya Popat 3-1 (11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7)
Cindy Xiao bt Rabani Ahluwaila 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-6)
Phoebe O’Brien bt Rabani Ahluwaila 3-0 (11-5, 12-10, 13-11)
Cindy Xiao bt Shreya Popat 3-0 (11-1, 11-6, 11-3)
Shreya Popat bt Rabani Ahluwaila 3-1 (12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8)
Cindy Xiao bt Phoebe O’Brien 3-0 (11-3, 11-6, 12-10)

Group Stage 2 Results

Boys Positions 1-3
Jayden Xuan Chen bt Lev Sahmurov 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-6)
Lusio Wen bt Lev Sahmurov 3-1 (4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-3)
Jayden Xuan Chen bt Lusio Wen 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-7)

Girls Positions 1-3
Cindy Xiao bt Serene Rahmani-Walentynska 3-1 (11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10)
Amber Lemmon bt Serene Rahmani-Walentynska 3-1 (6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-3)
Amber Lemmon bt Cindy Xiao 3-0 (11-3, 11-6, 12-10)

Boys Positions 4-6
Malek Shamakh bt Sai Prasanna Kumar 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-9)
Li Hao Chen bt Sai Prasanna Kumar 3-1 (11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7)
Li Hao Chen bt Malek Shamakh 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-9)

Girls Positions 4-6
Isabella Xiao Xu bt Phoebe O’Brien 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-6)
Bethany Yang bt Phoebe O’Brien 3-1 (11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 11-2)
Bethany Yang bt Isabella Xiao Xu 3-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8)

Boys Positions 7-9
Stefan Wierszllowski bt Oliver GÅ‚owacki 3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8)
Ronan Lamont-Tierney bt Oliver Glowacki 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7)
Ronan Lamont-Tierney bt Stefan Wierszllowski 3-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7)

Girls Positions 7-9
Sakinah Damji bt Shreya Popat 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 13-11)
Mindy Gao bt Shreya Popat 3-1 (9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7)
Mindy Gao bt Sakinah Damji 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-6)

Boys Positions 10-12
Christopher Darby bt Jonti Barnes 3-1 (11-7, 10-12, 13-11, 11-6)
Zachariah Sarri withdrawn*

Girls Positions 10-12
Rabani Ahluwaila bt Swara Mahabhashyan 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-5)
Mila Gao bt Swara Mahabhashyan 3-1 (11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7)
Mila Gao bt Rabani Ahluwaila 3-2 (11-9, 4-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-7)

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