Derek Abrefa Explained

Derek Abrefa
Fullname:Derek Tawiah Abrefa
Nationality:
Residence:Accra, Ghana
Playingstyle:Right-handed, Shakehand grip (offensive)
Crank:419 (May 2023)[1]
Hrank:206 (October 2018)
Birth Date:15 February 1992
Birth Place:Berekum, Ghana

Derek Tawiah Abrefa (born 15 February 1992) is a Ghanaian born table tennis player.[2] He started playing table tennis when he was in Presbyterian Senior High School, Osu as a student and junior national champion.[3] Derek being a junior ping pong player represented Ghana at the Africa Junior Championship in Alexandria, Egypt and the All African Games in Algiers, Algeria in 2007.

Abrefa is a two-time bronze medallist at the All Africa Games and Commonwealth and currently ranked number 1 in Ghana by the Ghana Table Tennis Federation.[4] He is currently ranked 278 in the world by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).[5]

Career

Abrefa started off as a junior ping pong player in the Africa Junior Championship in Alexandria, Egypt and the All African Games in Algiers, Algeria in 2007.[6]

In 2008 he won gold and silver medals in the African Championship in Cote d'Ivoire. He was part of the team representing Ghana at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.[7] During the commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia Derek has made the men's single match where he beat Sierra Leone's Emmanuel Gboyah in four straight sets, (11-5, 11–1, 11–4, 11–5).[8]

He also represented Ghana at the 2019 African Games in Rabat Morocco and he was appointed the general team captain[9] and was the flag bearer during the opening ceremony.[10] [11]

More recently Abrefa won the GTTA Grandmaster Championship Men's Singles, which consisted of the Top 10 players in Ghana. He defeated Felix Lartey in the Finals.[12]

Career Records

He came first place in the January Westchester Open in the U2500 rating.[13] [14] He also won bronze medals for Ghana at the All African Games in Brazzaville Congo in 2015.[15]

Derek in May 2023 participated in the London Grand Prix Table Tennis tournament as he won a silver medal in the Men's Band 1 and Bronze medal in a Men's Singles.[16] [17]

Honours

National

International

Awards

Derek has won six times the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) National Best Table Tennis Player Award Winner in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 respectively.[20]

Philanthropic Works

Derek embarked on a training tour in Accra training kids about table tennis and donating some table tennis equipments to them to help further their interest in the sport.[21]

He was also engaged in motivating young girls to get into table tennis with support from the ITTF Table Tennis United Fund.[22]

Derek who is currently based in the UK in June 2023 donated table tennis kits and sporting equipments to some selected schools and foundations in Accra, Ghana.[23] [24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Player profile. results.ittf.link. 2018-04-04.
  2. Web site: ITTF - Online Entry System .
  3. News: Abrefa, Lartey, gear up for Chairman's Cup. Larweh. Kwame. Graphic Online. 2018-04-04. en-gb.
  4. Web site: Derek Abrefa. Commonwealth Games Federation. en. 2018-04-04.
  5. Web site: Player profile. results.ittf.link. 2018-04-04.
  6. News: Derek Abrefa aiming to restore Ghanaian glory - International Table Tennis Federation. 2018-02-10. International Table Tennis Federation. 2018-04-04. en-GB.
  7. News: Gold Coast 2018: Ghana's Table Team will impress- Derek Abrefa - Starr Fm. 2018-02-06. Starr Fm. 2018-04-04. en-US.
  8. News: Totally different from home but Derek Abrefa adapts - International Table Tennis Federation. 2018-04-10. International Table Tennis Federation. 2018-04-11. en-GB.
  9. Web site: admin . 2019-08-21 . AG: Abrefa appointed Team Ghana captain . 2023-06-26 . Ghanaian Times . en.
  10. Web site: 2019-08-20 . African Games 2019: Abrefa appointed captain for Team Ghana . 2023-06-05 . GhanaWeb . en.
  11. Web site: African Games: Derek Abrefa named Team Ghana captain - MyJoyOnline . 2023-06-26 . myjoyonline.com . 19 August 2019 .
  12. Web site: Abrefa emerges winner of GTTA Grandmaster Championship . 5 June 2023 . GNA.ORG. 2 January 2022 .
  13. Web site: Derek Abrefa Wins Westchester Table Tennis Opens (U2500 Ratings) . 2020-02-13 . News Ghana . en-US.
  14. Web site: Ghana's Derek Abrefa wins 2020 Westchester Table Tennis Open in US. 2020-02-02. PrimeNewsGhana. en-us. 2020-02-13.
  15. Web site: Derek Abrefa and Emmanuel Commey set record in Stanbic Bank National Table Tennis League. 2016-05-24. www.myjoyonline.com. 2020-02-13.
  16. Web site: 2023-06-01 . Ghana's Abrefa wins medals at London Table Tennis Grand Prix . 2023-06-05 . GhanaWeb . en.
  17. Web site: Okine . Sammy Heywood . 2023-06-02 . Derek Abrefa Wins Table Tennis Medals In London . 2023-06-05 . Ultimate Sports Ghana All your Sports News from Ghana . en-US.
  18. Web site: 2023-06-05 . Ghana Table Tennis Star Derek Abrefa Wins Bronze At Wilmont Cup Final In England - GHSportsNews . 2023-06-05 . en-US.
  19. Web site: Heywood Okine . Sammy . Ghana Table Tennis Star Derek Abrefa Wins Bronze At Wilmont Cup Final In England . modernghana.com.
  20. Web site: 2020-01-30 . Derek Abrefa Shines In US . 2023-06-05 . DailyGuide Network . en-US.
  21. Web site: Larweh . Kwame . Abrefa supports communities with ping-pong equipment . 5 June 2023 . Graphic.com.gh.
  22. Web site: Ghanaian Star Derek Abrefa Motivates Local Girls - ITTF Foundation . 2023-06-06 . ittffoundation.org.
  23. Web site: GNA . 2023-06-15 . Ghana's table tennis star Abrefa supports clubs, schools with sporting kits . 2023-06-25 . Ghana News Agency . en-US.
  24. Web site: 2023-06-15 . Table Tennis Star Derek Abrefa Donates Equipment To Sports Foundations In Ghana - Ghananews247 . 2023-06-25 . en-US.