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LOBAMBA – With the availability of equipment at their disposal, OlympAfrica Table Tennis Team train almost every day.
That is the team led by Coach Dalton Dlamini. They were found hard at work this past Saturday during their practice match.
Players present included the versatile player-coach Siphesihle Dlamini, Philani Mbingo and Nkosinathi Dlamini.
Team coach Dlamini said good players were created through investing time and sweat during training, not in the game.
He said the OlympAfrica Sports Centre was open to everyone who needed to train, as the facility also boasted courts for netball, volleyball, basketball as well as teqball tables.
“We have the equipment in our facility and my players train almost everyday. Most of them reside around Lobamba, so even students are able to come after school and train in order to improve their game,” Dlamini said.
He also hinted on the importance of instilling discipline and applying the rules of the games from development stage.
Champion
“The current defending champion from the recently-ended tournament is one of our own players, Moricia. She is a product of our development squad and now shines against the seniors. The winners come from development, so it is critical to invest in grassroots then reap the rewards later. I pushed her in training and then she applied what she learnt at a competitive level,” he said.
Speaking of her exposure to the variety of sports, as she plays about nine different sports including full court tennis, volleyball, netball, basketball and teqball among others, Siphesihle described working for OlympAfrica as a privilege and a way of impacting the youth positively as a coach and player.
“The OlympAfrica Centre is my home and I would like to encourage the youth of Lobamba, Ezulwini and Elangeni to take advantage of the centre. They can play a number of sports here and be saved from the street life that is marked by crime, alcohol and drug abuse.
“I’m always here and ready to help in terms of coaching, since I am qualified in most of the sporting codes,” Siphesihle said.
Ezulwini High School pupil Nkosinathi Dlamini, who is part of the OlympAfrica table tennis team, highlighted the mental benefits of the sport and how it helped to make good decisions. “Playing table tennis helps me to be a critical thinker as it keeps me focused and thinking of my next move to dominate the opponent. I train every day since I live nearby.
“Since sports is for everyone and the OlympAfrica is welcoming, young people must come to the sports centre and they will be amazed by the number of sports they can play here,” Nkosinathi said.
The players, however, lamented the shortage of funds that were limiting the availability of table tennis tournaments in the country, as well as their participation in international tournaments.