At just 22 years old, Hanitra Raharimanana made a stunning debut on the global table tennis stage at the 2025 ITTF World Championships in Doha, Qatar. On Sunday, May 18, she delivered a remarkable performance, defeating Singapore’s Loy Ming Ying 4-2 in the opening round of the Women’s Singles.
Raharimanana, who is based in Paris and works in communication and marketing, showcased not only her talent but also the rising stature of Madagascan table tennis. Her victory is a testament to the growing efforts of the Madagascar Table Tennis Federation to elevate the sport both regionally and globally.
This achievement follows in the footsteps of 21-year-old Fabio Rakotoarimanana, who made history as the first Madagascan to compete in Olympic table tennis at the Paris 2024 Games. Together, these athletes are redefining Madagascar’s presence in international table tennis.
In her match against the Singaporean, Raharimanana came out strong, taking the first two sets 12-10 and 11-9. Although Loy Ming Ying responded with an 11-2 win in the third set, Raharimanana regained control with an 11-9 win in the fourth. The Singaporean narrowed the gap again with an 11-4 win in the fifth, but the Madagascan sealed the match in a thrilling sixth set, edging it 21-19—the longest set of the tournament so far.
Her victory was met with enthusiastic support from African fans in Doha, celebrating a proud moment for East African table tennis.
However, it was a challenging day for other African contenders. Nigeria’s Muiz Adegoke, Matthew Kuti, and Fatimo Bello, along with Egypt’s Dina Meshref, exited the Singles events early. Meanwhile, teams from Zambia and Uganda faced defeats in the doubles category.
