Derek Abrefa
Full nameDerek Tawiah Abrefa
Nationality Ghana
ResidenceAccra, Ghana
Born(1992-02-15)15 February 1992
Berekum, Ghana
Table tennis career
Playing styleRight-handed, Shakehand grip (offensive)
Highest ranking206 (October 2018)
Current ranking419 (May 2023)[1]

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

  • 2x National Juniors Champion
  • 13x National Seniors Champion
  • 2x Ghana University Games Champion

International

  • 2x African Zone '3' Juniors Champion
  • London Grand Prix (Runner-Up, 2nd Band 2)[18]
  • London Grand Prix Open Restricted (Bronze, 3rd)[19]

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]

References

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