Akiko Iwase won the NWT’s first medal at the Canadian Table Tennis Championships last weekend, placing second in this year’s women’s over-40 singles category.
“I still feel very overwhelmed. I’ve been receiving so many congratulations, those kinds of messages from people across Canada, even from overseas,” said Iwase.
“I actually didn’t realize how big of a deal it was for the Northwest Territories to win a medal at the national level and I’m really happy that I was able to do that for the territory.”
Iwase competed in table tennis in Japan for 15 years before taking a break from the sport. When she moved to Canada, she was surprised at how many table tennis players there were and got involved in the Yellowknife Table Tennis Club.
She’s been back playing the sport for 10 years, but this was her first Canadian national championship.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“It was actually fun,” said Iwase. “The tournament venue was filled with really high energy and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It brought me right back to the time I was a competitor, so that was a great feeling to have.”
Thorsten Gohl, Table Tennis North’s executive director and a coach, said winning a silver medal shows the NWT belongs at a national level.
“We don’t have to hide that we’re a small territory and that we’re not as good as others. We should just show up and give our best,” said Gohl.
“We don’t need to be shy to represent on a national stage, maybe even an international stage.”
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
The NWT sent four athletes to the Canadian Table Tennis Championships in Winnipeg, held from July 17-23. Iwase, Darren Woodland, Kathleen Cai and Tommaso Cai all competed in the seniors category, while Kathleen also competed in the juniors category.
Gohl said previous years have seen more athletes from the NWT participate in this championship, but this year table tennis athletes from Fort Providence attended the Western Canadian Championships instead.
Gohl was impressed by every athlete’s improvement throughout the competition, particularly when it came to adapting techniques and tactics in response to longer rallies and new styles.
“The competition went very well. We don’t focus so much on the results themselves. Winning is of course nice, but it’s about the implementation of the things we’re doing,” said Gohl.
Along with participating in the competition, Iwase and Woodland also coached. Gohl said this is part of Table Tennis North’s policy to have coaches also compete. Kathleen and Tommaso are taking the first steps toward becoming coaches, said Gohl.
“There were moments where I felt like I could not win a match, but [Thorsten] helped me refocus and get back into the game,” said Iwase.
“That reminded me of the kind of coach I want to be. I hope I can have that same positive impact on the athletes I work with and help them grow.”
Gohl hopes the momentum from the NWT’s success at the Canadian Table Tennis Championships will help the territory’s athletes prepare for the Canada Winter Games in February 2027 and next year’s national championships in New Brunswick.
Iwase wants her achievement to inspire table tennis players in the NWT to join the Yellowknife Table Tennis Club, even if they just play recreationally at home or haven’t played in a while.
“I want many people to experience the same enjoyment that I get from playing table tennis,” said Iwase.
