Table tennis ace sets his sights on Tokyo

YUKAIL Naidoo’s heart skipped a beat when he was announced the Junior Sportsman of the Year at last week’s KZN Department of Sport and Recreation annual awards.

It was an emotional moment for the 14-year-old table tennis ace, above, whose victory was met with a rapturous ovation from the province’s sports elite gathered at Durban’s International Convention Centre.

The current Under-15 national champion pipped Proteas canoeist Alex Masina and accomplished BMX rider Manqoba Madida to the coveted title.

“I was ecstatic when my name was called out. I was honoured to take that award home. It really is a prestigious achievement,” Naidoo said.

“To win alongside other nominees who are excellent sportsmen is incredible. I must thank my family, teammates and the Nyolo Table Tennis Academy for helping me.”

Naidoo, from Pietermaritzburg, has been a dominant force in the junior game since 2015, having won the South African title for the past three years.

The diminutive teenager’s success can be attributed to his powerful forehand, incredible defence and range of serves, which often bamboozle the opposition.

Now ranked 12th on the continent, he represented South Africa in the African Junior Championships in Algeria last year and in Tunisia in April.

What makes his rise to the top even more astounding is that he took up the sport only four years ago.

“It has been a tough but good year for me,” he said. “This award is a stepping stone and will motivate me to keep working hard and aim higher.”

The award came with a R20 000 winner’s cheque. “I couldn’t believe the payout. The most I’ve ever won in a tournament was R500,” he said.

“To take my game to the next level, I would like to play ranking tournaments all over the world,” Naidoo said.

His coach, Simon Gologolo, said he battled to hold back tears when Naidoo walked onto the stage.

“He is a fantastic youngster who worked hard every day to achieve this.

“When he started playing he could not hold a racket properly. It is amazing,” said Gologolo.

He believes Naidoo will qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“We are targeting a place in the 2018 All Africa Games. It’s the first step on the road to Tokyo.”