London Youth Games 2025 Success
Stanmore Table Tennis Club had much to celebrate yesterday as several of its rising stars competed in the London Youth Games 2025, held at the impressive Copper Box Arena in London. Spanning a full day from 10am to 6pm, the event showcased the best young table tennis talent from across the capital, with boroughs going head-to-head in the Under 16s category.
What made the day particularly special for the club was the sheer number of Stanmore players representing various boroughs — a testament to the strength and depth of talent being nurtured at the club.
The players representing their boroughs included Rohan and Aaron (Hillingdon), Daniyal and Riki (Barnet Boys), Rishi (Harrow), and our girls Bethany and Maahi (Barnet Girls). Stanmore’s Head Coach, Joel Fernandes, was on hand to support the Barnet team and was immensely proud to see his players wearing different borough colours while representing the club’s ethos of teamwork, resilience, and competitive spirit.
The Barnet Girls team, made up of Maahi and Bethany produced a truly outstanding performance to win gold in the Under 16s competition — a result that stands as one of the highlights of the entire London Youth Games. Having played together before, the two girls showed excellent chemistry, combining experience and fearless play with calm heads and a strong competitive spirit.
In the group stage, they were drawn against Ealing, Chelsea and Kensington, and Lewisham. The Lewisham match proved to be the toughest of the round, with talented players from the respected Greenhouse programme. Despite the challenge, Maahi and Bethany rose to the occasion, holding their nerve under pressure and playing with smart, tactical table tennis to top the group and progress to the knockout rounds.
From there, the pair went from strength to strength. In the quarter-finals, they delivered a confident win over Bromley, followed by another impressive performance in the semi-finals against Redbridge. Both girls played with great focus and consistency, backing each other throughout each round.
In the final, they faced Enfield — the defending champions, with a strong, experienced pairing who had taken gold the previous year. The match was a nail-biter. Enfield edged the doubles in the deciding set 11–9, but Maahi responded brilliantly with a composed and controlled singles victory in straight sets. That set the stage for Bethany to play the deciding match. At just 10 years old, she showed nerves of steel and incredible determination, coming through a tense final set to win 11–8 and seal a 2–1 win for Barnet.
Winning the gold medal was an amazing achievement and a moment of real pride for both players, their families, and the club. Maahi led with maturity and precision, while Bethany brought energy, courage and a fearless attitude to every match. Together, they showed not only talent and teamwork, but also resilience, composure and a love for the game that shone through at every stage.
Their success is a credit to the hard work they’ve put in and the way they support each other both on and off the table. For Stanmore Table Tennis Club, it was a joy to see two of our own take home the title in such style.
Daniyal and Riki, both just 10 years old, represented Barnet Boys. The pair made up the youngest team in the boys' competition and, remarkably, they were also one of the smallest squads — just two players compared to the four or five most boroughs brought along.
Daniyal, playing as first seed, had an outstanding day, remaining unbeaten in all of his singles matches, defeating the top seed from each of the other boroughs in the group stages, including an impressive win against Kingston's, Oliver Chen (the eventual winners).
Riki, playing as second seed, also had an impressive outing, winning three of his five singles matches, showing tremendous composure for his age. In doubles, the pair won three of five matches, helping Barnet finish 2nd in the group, narrowly missing out on first place. Their placement unfortunately led to a tougher Quarter Final draw, but their performance was no less outstanding.
Representing Hillingdon, Rohan and Aaron performed consistently throughout the day. In a group featuring boroughs like Harrow, Newham, Westminster, Islington and Richmond, the pair picked up three wins out of five, narrowly missing out on qualification to the knockout stages after finishing third in their group.
Aaron impressed with four wins out of five in his singles matches, while Rohan also delivered strong performances, winning three singles matches and playing competitively in the others. Together, the duo secured three wins in doubles, learning valuable lessons in doubles strategy, positioning and in-game communication.
Despite falling short of the quarter-finals, the pair showed fantastic teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the day, and their efforts reflected positively on both the Hillingdon borough and Stanmore Table Tennis Club.
Rishi represented Harrow, and he too faced a challenging draw. His group contained seven boroughs, with only the top two teams progressing to the next stage. It was a highly competitive group, which also included Hillingdon, represented by his fellow Stanmore teammates Rohan and Aaron.
Despite strong performances and battling hard in every match, Harrow finished fourth in the group, just behind Hillingdon. With limited opportunities to rotate and facing strong teams from the outset, Rishi gave it his all and gained invaluable experience at this level of competition.
Head Coach Joel Fernandes, who managed the Barnet squad on the day, was full of praise for all Stanmore players who took part regardless of borough.
“It was a brilliant day for all eight of our Stanmore players who took part in the London Youth Games. We had six boys — Daniyal, Riki, Aaron, Rohan, Rishi, and Rohan Parmar — and two girls, Maahi and Bethany — all proudly representing different boroughs across London. Every one of them gave it their all and represented the club brilliantly.
Daniyal and Riki, both just 10 years old, were the youngest boys’ team in the entire competition. They represented Barnet with only two players, which is incredibly tough at this level. Daniyal went unbeaten in the group stage, winning five out of five matches as first seed. Riki also played really well, winning three out of his five matches. Not only did they reach the quarter-finals on their first appearance — which is a massive achievement in itself — they were also the only team to beat Kingston, who went on to win the gold medal.
Aaron and Rohan represented Hillingdon and had a strong day. Aaron won four of his five singles matches and showed real focus throughout. He and Rohan worked well together in doubles, and although they narrowly missed out on reaching the knockout stages, they played with great energy and team spirit. Rohan picked up some good wins and was involved in some very close matches.
Rishi had a challenging group representing Harrow. He was up against some of the strongest boroughs on the day, but he fought hard and stayed composed in every match. These kinds of experiences are so important for a player’s development, and he’ll take a lot away from it.
Maahi and Bethany were simply outstanding, and they were our superstars on the day. From the very first match to the final point, they supported each other beautifully and played with real confidence and maturity. They had a tough group and some very challenging knockout rounds, but nothing fazed them. They stayed calm, focused, and played smart, determined table tennis when it mattered most.
They came up against Enfield in the final, who were last year’s champions and had a strong, experienced pair. It was a high-pressure match, but Maahi and Bethany held their nerve in the tightest of moments. Maahi delivered a brilliant singles win to level the tie, and Bethany showed incredible composure to close it out in the decider. Winning gold at this level is a massive achievement. They absolutely earned it, and the way they carried themselves — both on and off the table — was a credit to them. The whole club was proud of these two girls.
Every single one of our players competed with heart, supported their teammates, and showed what Stanmore Table Tennis Club is all about. It was a great day for the club.”
The London Youth Games 2025 will be remembered as a key milestone in the journey of many of our young players. From winning borough titles to battling in tough groups, these experiences shape not just athletes, but confident individuals ready to take on future challenges.
Stanmore Table Tennis Club is incredibly proud of its representatives, and we’re excited to see what lies ahead. As ever, we remain committed to providing opportunities, guidance, and support to all our players — whether they’re training for their next local league match or stepping into the Copper Box Arena under the bright lights of the capital.
Congratulations to all our players. The future is bright.