Table tennis outfit tables its credentials
THERE is something special brewing at the Umgungundlovu Table
Tennis Association (UMGTTA) in Pietermaritzburg. A group of young players from the region took the
2018 National Junior and Senior Championships held in Secunda by storm recently.
They returned home with 15 medals, headlined by Kailey-ann Reddy’s gold in the Under-13 division and Kurt Lingeveldt claiming the coveted senior men’s title
They may hail from the “Sleepy Hollow” but their performances in Mpumalanga were nothing short of exhilarating.
“To be honest we did not expect to do as well as we did. We had initially targeted a haul of eight medals,” newly elected president of UMGTTA, Preshen Naidoo said.
“Apart from my gold medallsits we also had Keshmika Sivnarain who finished as runner-up in the Under-18 category. In addition we bagged lots of medals in the doubles and team events,” he added.
Naidoo says the region was virtually unknown 10 years ago but a plan to develop the sport has paid dividends.
“We have been knocking on the door for a few years now. People are finally taking notice of us, he said.
The addition of Lingeveldt as head coach last year had made a big difference in the region.
“Kurt is a national player with experience second to none. He is a dedicated coach who has brought structure and given the kids a chance to express themselves,” Naidoo said.
“It is really looking bright for us. We have grown from 150 registered players to 235 this year.”
With the nationals now done and dusted, players will shift their attention to the Salga Games, which will be in Pietermaritzburg, and the Pedro Meyer Classic in Cape Town, to be staged in December.
“The training continues for our players. It has already been a good year but we have to keep working hard and end off on a high,” Naidoo said.