The ITTF World Youth Championships 2024 concluded in spectacular fashion in Helsingborg, marking several historic milestones alongside exceptional performances across all categories.
Germany’s Annett Kaufmann produced a memorable display in the Under-19 Girls’ Singles final, securing gold with an emotional 4-2 victory (11-4, 1-11, 11-6, 11-6, 1-11, 12-10) over China’s Zong Geman. Kaufmann’s triumph was complemented by Hana Goda’s historic bronze medal – the first-ever U19 Singles medal for Africa at the ITTF World Youth Championships.
In the Under-19 Boys’ Singles final, China’s Huang Youzheng demonstrated exceptional skill to secure gold with a commanding 4-0 victory (11-8, 11-2, 11-0, 11-4) over teammate Wen Ruibo. The event also witnessed history as Brazil’s Leonardo Izuka claimed bronze, becoming the first Pan-American player to medal at the ITTF World Youth Championships, sharing the podium with fellow bronze medallist Yuhi Sakai of Japan.
The Under-15 categories saw remarkable achievements, particularly from China’s Li Hechen who completed a perfect sweep of all four gold medals in Helsingborg. After earlier triumphs in Team, Mixed Doubles, and Doubles events, Li secured his fourth gold in Boys’ Singles with a 4-1 victory (11-5, 11-6, 11-4, 1-11, 11-7) over compatriot Tang Yiren.Another historic moment came as Iran’s Benyamin Faraji secured bronze – Iran’s first-ever medal at the ITTF World Youth Championships – alongside Korea Republic’s Lee Seungsoo.
In the Girls’ Under-15 Singles, top seed Yao Ruixuan demonstrated her superiority with a composed performance, claiming gold in straight games against Hu Yi with a 4-0 victory (11-9, 11-5, 11-3, 11-2). Chinese Taipei’s Chen Min-Hsin and Germany’s Koharu Itagaki rounded out the podium with bronze medals.
This championship has been a tremendous showcase of the sport’s future stars, orchestrated brilliantly by the Swedish Table Tennis Association. As we bid farewell to a thrilling and eventful ITTF World Youth Championships 2024, the aspirations of these young talents propel them towards the next chapter in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Table tennis enthusiasts can relive all the action on the World Table Tennis YouTube channel and find photos here.
