Tahiti, October 6, 2026 - The Tahitian Table Tennis Federation (FTTT) held an individual challenge at the Pater hall on Saturday, signaling the beginning of the local 2026/2027 table tennis season. This type of tournament had not been organized for several seasons and brought together 32 players, including one female, Clara Sayegh. The event featured a group phase, where the top two players in each group moved on to the final bracket, while the third and fourth placed players continued in a consolation bracket. Matches in both brackets were direct elimination, meaning a loss would result in immediate disqualification. Angelo Utia, a forty-year-old player, emerged as the tournament winner, showing his continued competitiveness. He faced a challenging final against Léo Sayegh, a 13-year-old player, in a suspenseful match that lasted five sets. Utia won 13-11. Utia expressed his motivation to maintain his level and his interest in competing in the Pacific Games. However, he acknowledged the difficulty of making the final selection, considering the competition from players based in France and possibly Ocean Belrose. Clara Sayegh had a strong performance, reaching the quarterfinals of the final bracket. In the consolation bracket, Anton Liu Sing, a young player, defeated Xavier Bouly, an experienced player, in a five-set final. This result highlighted the depth of talent in the tournament and the competitive nature of the event. The Tahiti Team Championships Elite and D2 are set to begin at the Pater hall in the coming days, with finals scheduled for April 24, 2027. Table tennis activities are also ongoing in Bora Bora, where Alize Belrose, the technical director of the FTTT, conducted a federal animator training and a performance camp from September 14 to 18. Additionally, the AS FMS Bora Pongiste will organize a promotional match open to all table tennis enthusiasts on Saturday, October 24.