Hila brothers chasing dreams in table tennis

The sport of table tennis in Papua New Guinea is like a family sport!

When a family member is involved, inspiring others within the family circles becomes a norm.

For the Hila brothers from a mix parentage of Central and Milne Bay, the fruit does not fall far from the tree.

Inspired by their father Hila Frank, Guba and Mysel, Hila are now writing their own story in table tennis.

“Growing up we were inspired by our father after seeing him going on these trips we were inspired to take the sport seriously,” Guba Hila recalled.

Both lads are currently in Shanghai at the Chinese Table Tennis Collage attending high performance training for five weeks with fellow female junior athletes, Chantel Raka and Merolyn Moses.

Guba is not new to the program, having been to Shanghai in 2024, this is his second time, as he recalled the last training session as a success, helping him to perform well as a member of Team PNG’s male Table Tennis team at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau where they finished off with a bronze medal.

“The training event happens every year and helps us develop new skills, techniques and also helps us with our mental preparation which is very important in table tennis,” the grade eleven Gordon Secondary student mentioned.

This time around, Guba travelled with his younger brother Mysel, a grade 7 student at Wardstrip Primary School.

As Guba and Mysel pursue their dreams in the sport of table tennis, their parents Hila and Gari Frank are proud and appreciative.

“We were very happy when we heard that the younger one Mysel will also be traveling with his older brother,” Gari Frank (mother) said.

“We are grateful that the PNG Table Tennis Federation provides this opportunity and we hope to see them both represent the country in the near future,” Hila Frank (father) said.