We’re all set to host ITTF World Hopes Week!

October 9, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

The worldâ€s best under-12 players will arrive in Sheffield over the weekend ready for the prestigious ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge.

England was chosen as host nation of one of the foremost youth development events in global table tennis, and will welcome players from five continents to the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield from 13-29 October.

The World Hopes Week & Challenge is the pinnacle of a journey, following National and Continental Hopes events. Players who reach Sheffield have already demonstrated exceptional promise and earned their place through rigorous international qualification.

Among the 20 boys and 20 girls, born in 2013 or later, who are attending are Englandâ€s Dimitar Dimitrov, as well as Jayden Xuan Chen and Amber Lemmon, the latter two having won boys; and girls†competitions in England Hopes Week to book their places.

List of players

Boys: Joseph Sebatindira (UGA), Joshua Samson (NGR), Chirag Pradhan (USA), Jacob Kordus (USA), Daniel Liang (Can), Yasin Shoaritehrani (IRI), Anders Zhen Hong Goh (MAS), Krish Vinodh (IND), Filip Arosell (SWD), Reah Krol Shahar (ISR), Nicolai Bucur (MDA), Lucas Alexandre (NZL), Jayden Xuan Chen (ENG); wildcards: Pietro Campagna (ITA), Oscar Pan (AUS), Umar Ayoola (NGR), Leo Sayegh (PYF), Dimitar Dimitrov (ENG), Valentino Marcial (ARG), Pitiyage Silva (SRI)

Girls: Patience Anyango (UGA), Malak Zaki (EGY), Olivia Wang (CAN), Osmari de la Caridad Rosquete (CUB), Karina Xiao (USA), Kaede Neya (JPN), Zhi Yu Eng (MAS), Xintian Gu (SGP), Bianca Toma (ROU), Teodora Sardeni (ROU), Lara Monteiro (POR), Ariel Li (AUS), Amber Lemmon (ENG); wildcards: Adriana Ivan (ROU), Alissa Yeung (AUS), Andreea Prohorovici (MDA), Emma Yang (USA), Serena Rossati (ITA), Karen Looi (NZL), Chanuki Karawayasam (SRI)

They will take part in a week of intensive training and international collaboration, culminating in the Challenge competition on the final two days.

With around 40 coaches also in attendance, plus sparring partners, it promises to be a busy and fulfilling week for all involved.

England performance coaches Charlotte Carey, Antony Constantinou and Ben Barlow will be playing their part in the week and the coach development team will also be on-site to learn from some of the best coaches of young talent.

Coaches from the wider talent network have also been invited to experience the week and use it for their own development – they are Paul Johnson, Olly Tyndall and Eva Toth.

 Sparrers helping out for the week at various points include: Zac Greenhough, Peadar Sheridan, Olly Cornish, Rebecca Savage, Jake Davidson, Rebecca Savage and Rachel Iles.

Activity is not just confined to the training hall – on Tuesday, our S&C partners Sheffield Hallam University are delivering a workshop to the incoming coaches from around the world on the physical determinants of success of the youth table tennis athlete – a co-produced workshop for coaches to share experiences, insights and philosophies around the physical preparation of table tennis players.

And on Friday 17th, the ITTF are delivering a workshop on food sustainability to the players, centred around how to avoid food waste.

Emma Vickers, Head of Pathway Development at Table Tennis England, said: “With World Hopes Week due to start in only a few days, we feel we have made all the necessary preparations and are looking forward to the week starting.

“We have personally invited several coaches and sparrers to support us across the week, and we hope they are able to gain a valuable learning experience from their time in Sheffield.â€

Look out for updates throughout the week on our channels.

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