The Big House is a facility at New Ashongman that was used as a restaurant but has now been turned into a sports (Table Tennis) training centre.
According to Samuel Asare Bediako, a Table Tennis enthusiast, they decided to support the kids and youth in the area by providing a place at New Ashongman, opposite the Ashongman Community Hospital, and it is yielding results because the players who represented The Big House at the 2026 Community Table Tennis Contest did very well by placing second to Blue Rose TT Club of Buduburum.
He revealed that the former thriving restaurant was turned into a Table Tennis house two years ago.
The former civil servant said guiding the young players to become superstars in the future is the dream and goal, and bringing them together also has many advantages in team building and taking them away from social pressures and vices.
The contest was held to commemorate this year’s World Table Tennis Day on April 23 under the theme “Health and Well-Being”.
The tournament was also aimed at promoting inclusion, active lifestyles, and grassroots sports development.
It was organised by RightSet Ghana in collaboration with The Big House Table Tennis Club. and support from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Spinsight, and the Ghana Table Tennis Federation.
Project Manager of Rightset Ghana, Samira Mensah, and Founder Gifty Appiah, a 2023–2026 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Young Leader and this year’s World Table Tennis Day Celebration Promoter, were instrumental in securing key partnerships and coordinating the successful delivery of the event.
Other community-based clubs from Dansoman, Nungua, Chorkor, and Madina participated in the Table Tennis event.
Beyond competition, the tournament served as a developmental platform for the players to build confidence, strengthen social connections, and enhance both physical and mental well-being through sport participation.
Blue Rose Table Tennis Club emerged as champions in the cadet category (U15) contest, following their strong display of discipline, teamwork, and technical ability throughout the tournament.
Mrs. Samira Mensah highlighted that the initiative was designed to position table tennis as a tool for social impact, promoting discipline, teamwork, healthy living, and community cohesion while supporting youth development.
The strong backing from The Big House, providing a venue for the event, reinforced the interest in promoting well-being and creating opportunities for young people, especially at the grassroots level.
The team from Chorkor wished they had a place like The Big House, as they lack many things that can make them develop and create an interest in the game.
By Sammy Heywood Okine
