Thursday, September 17, 2026

Tunisian Akram Ben Attia makes history, becomes first Africa’s gold badge umpire

The Tunisian was given the highest officiating honor by ITTF, following his performance at recent international competitions.

• October 29, 2022

Tunisian table tennis umpire Akram Ben Attia has written his name in the history book after attaining the umpire gold badge by the International Table Tennis Federation(ITTF) earlier this week.

Ben Attia has been outstanding while officiating matches especially during the just concluded World Team Table tennis Championships in Chengdu, China and the ongoing WTT Cup finals in Xinxiang, China.

The France-based umpire has now received his gold badge, becoming the first African umpire to achieve the impressive feat.

The Gold Badge was created in 2020 to identify highly qualified international umpires who have been Blue Badge umpires for at least two years.

Ben Attia’s achievement was announced by the ITTF-Africa on Friday to celebrate a top representative of the continent.

“Akram Ben Attia has earned an ITTF umpire GOLD badge.”

It continued: “The Tunisian umpire has shown his outstanding officiating on the highest level especially in the men’s team final of the World Team Table tennis Championships in Chengdu and currently at the WTT Cup finals in Xinxiang this month, as well as at other WTT competition.”

“Ben Attia becomes the first African umpire to be addressed with the Gold Badge since it was created in 2020 to identify highly qualified International

Umpires who have been Blue Badge umpires for at least two years,” the post read.

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