Ireland’s young players produced a series of excellent performances at the Senior Schools International Championships, held in Cardiff, Wales, from 26–28 June 2026. The Irish delegation consisted of 11 players, accompanied by coaches Jennifer Ranjit, Tom and Sabina, who supported the team throughout three days of competition against strong opposition from England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and Guernsey. The squad delivered a number of impressive results, earning team and individual medals while gaining valuable international experience.
U18 Girls Strike Gold
The highlight of the championships came from the U18 Girls team of Grace Looney and Anjali Singh, who captured the Gold Medal in the team event.
Ireland produced a flawless campaign, recording victories over England A, England B, Wales, Scotland, Jersey and Guernsey to finish top of the standings. The team’s 3-2 victory over England A proved particularly significant on their way to securing the title.
The success continued in the individual event, where:
- 🥈 Grace Looney claimed Silver in the U18 Girls Singles.
- 🥉 Anjali Singh secured Bronze in the U18 Girls Singles.
Individual Medal Success
Ireland enjoyed further success across a range of age categories in the individual competitions.
Consolation Event Winners
- 🏆 Karsten Close – U14 Boys Consolation Winner.
- 🏆 Nuria Goldston – U16 Girls Consolation Winner.
Consolation Event Bronze Medallists
- 🥉 Belal Abdelaal – U18 Boys.
- 🥉 Jane Wilson – U16 Girls.
Other Notable Individual Results
- Vincent Ni reached the Quarter-Finals of the U18 Boys Main Event.
- Aatidya Singh reached the Quarter-Finals of the U16 Boys Main Event.
- Toby Caldwell reached the Quarter-Finals of the U16 Boys Main Event.
- Adam Hedderly reached the Last 16 of the U14 Boys Main Event.
Team Event Performances
Boys Teams
The Irish boys’ teams performed strongly throughout the championships, recording several notable victories and competitive finishes.
U18 Boys
- Vincent Ni and Belal Abdelaal
- 4th place out of 10 teams
U16 Boys
- Aatidya Singh and Toby Caldwell
- 4th place out of 10 teams.
U14 Boys
- Adam Hedderly and Karsten Close
- 5th place out of 11 teams.
The U14 team produced particularly strong performances, securing victories against Wales B, Jersey B, Guernsey B, Jersey A and Scotland B during the event.
Girls Teams
U18 Girls
- Grace Looney and Anjali Singh
- 🥇 1st place out of 7 teams.
U16 Girls
- Nuria Goldston, Jane Wilson and Polly Smith
- 5th place out of 6 teams.
Valuable International Experience
The championships provided an excellent opportunity for the Irish players to compete against some of the strongest school-aged players from across the Home Nations and the Channel Islands. Players faced opposition from England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and Guernsey throughout a busy three-day programme of team and individual competition.
The event also offered a high volume of matches, allowing players to gain significant experience in an international environment while testing themselves against a wide range of playing styles. The tournament was well organised, and the Irish team benefited greatly from the competitive opportunities available throughout the weekend.
Congratulations to all 11 Irish players, who represented Ireland with distinction throughout the championships and delivered a number of outstanding results on the international stage.🏓
Table Tennis Ireland would also like to thank the team coaches Jennifer Ranjit, Tom and Sabina for their commitment, support and guidance throughout the event. Their efforts helped ensure the players were well prepared and able to perform to a high standard across a demanding schedule of matches.
A special thank you also goes to the Irish officials who travelled with the team. Brenda, John and Ala made an important contribution to the championships in their roles as umpires, supporting the successful delivery of the event.
