The week, held at the English Institute of Sport from October 13 to 19, brought together 40 of the world’s most promising U12 talents – 20 boys and 20 girls – and represented the culmination of the Continental Hopes programs in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania throughout 2025.
The meeting in Sheffield marked the final stage of an extensive talent identification process that began at a national level before progressing through the Continental Hopes programmes. From the European meeting in Portugal to the African week in Lagos, the Asian program in Vientiane, the US activities in Guatemala and the Oceania meeting in New Caledonia, each continental program identified promising talents who would eventually converge in Sheffield.
This carefully structured pathway ensures that young players are identified, assessed and developed at multiple stages before they reach the global platform, creating a comprehensive talent identification system that spans the entire table tennis world.
The week prioritized skill development and learning over competitive results, with five intensive training days led by ITTF head coaches Eva Jeler and Magnus Mallander. The sessions focused on technical advancements, physical improvements and consistency, providing participants with world-class coaching expertise.
To complement the table tennis instruction, Dave Hembrough from Sheffield Hallam University delivered an engaging strength and conditioning workshop, and later led a game-based warm-up session which proved hugely popular with participants.
The program went beyond technical development, with ITTF Planet Ambassador Martin Perry delivering an inspiring educational session on sustainability and food waste, linking sport to environmental responsibility and community impact.
The week concluded with the Challenge competition, designed to assess players’ ability to apply their training in competitive conditions. Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira claimed the boys’ title, beating Jacob Kordus of the US in the final, while Japan’s Kaede Neya secured the girls’ championship with a win over Malaysia’s Zhi Yu Eng.
The innovative competition format combined round-robin group stages with progressive knockout rounds, with short games with gold points at 10-10 to encourage fast, decisive play. England’s three competitors – Amber Lemmon, Jayden Xuan Chen and Dimitar Dimitrov – gained valuable international experience during the group stage.
However, competition results represented only one element of the comprehensive evaluation process that defines the Hopes Program’s talent identification approach.
The selection process evaluated players on multiple dimensions, in addition to match results. Technical skills, training attitude, competitive approach and overall development potential were all factored into the assessment, ensuring the selections reflected real long-term promise rather than just current competitive results.
This holistic approach explains why the Hopes Team selections were not simply a reflection of the podium finishes in the competition. The evaluation process was designed to identify players with the greatest development potential, not just those who achieved immediate competitive success.
2025 Hopes team selected
Following extensive evaluation throughout the week, eight players earned selection to the Hopes team, gaining access to the High Performance pathway with scholarships and additional funded training and competition opportunities.
The Hopes team for girls:
- Eden Ocean (Japan)
- Zhi Yu Eng (Malaysia)
- Emma Yang (USA)
- Bianca Toma (Romania)
The Hopes team of boys:
- Joseph Sebatindira (Uganda)
- Lucas Alexandre (New Zealand)
- Jacob Kordus (USA)
- Pietro Campagna (Italy)
The selections reflect strong geographic diversity, with representation from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania, demonstrating the global reach of the talent identification process.
Hopes Week epitomized the culmination of ITTF’s comprehensive talent identification strategy. From initial activities at the national level through Continental Hopes programs to World Hopes Week, the pathway creates multiple assessment and development opportunities for young players around the world.
For the eight Hopes Team members, Sheffield marks the start of an accelerated development path with enhanced coaching, training and competition opportunities. For all 40 participants, the week provided invaluable international exposure, world-class instruction and connections with colleagues from around the world.
The 2025 cycle demonstrated the maturity and effectiveness of the Hopes programme, with continental activities successfully implemented across all regions and the global meeting in Sheffield providing extensive review and development opportunities.
As attention turns to the 2026 Hopes cycle, the hosting bidding process for next year’s World Hopes Week has been officially opened. Member associations interested in organizing this prestigious talent identification meeting can visit here.
General news High performance and development
#Sheffield #Caps #Hopes #Cycle #players #earn #spots #Hopes #team #International #Table #Tennis #Federation