The South African Table Tennis team is gearing up for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in front of their home supporters at the upcoming ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals, which will be held in Durban.  

As it is the first time in 84 years that the prestigious tournament will be held on African soil, this makes it an especially symbolic one for the South African players, who now have the chance to showcase their skills against the world’s best players in front of a home crowd. The stage is theirs to rise to the challenge and bring glory to their nation. 

To prepare for the event, the team has embarked on an intensive training camp in New Delhi, India, which aims to help them improve their gameplay and performance with the guidance of top-class coaches. The camp runs until 13 May, and the team consists of eight players – Danisha Patel, Zodwa Maphanga, Lailaa Edwards, Musfiquh Kalam, Chetan Nathoo, Theo Cogill, Liam Beukes, and Dean Levy. 

At the training camp, the team had the opportunity to work with some of the best coaches and players in the world. The preparation work included long hours of practice and physical conditioning to get the players in the best possible shape, both mentally and physically. The team also received guidance on injury prevention and physical conditioning, a crucial component for any athlete preparing for a major tournament. 

The extended period the players spent at the camp also served to help bond the players and build a sense of camaraderie and team spirit within the team. Musfiquh Kalam is one of the South African players who is raring to go, and expressed her excitement about the upcoming championships, “The training camp in India has been an incredible experience for us. We have learned so much from the coaches and players here, and we feel more confident and prepared than ever before. We are ready to take on the world at the Championships in Durban, and we hope to make South Africa proud.” 

With the championships now less than two weeks’ away, the South African Table Tennis team is using this training camp to gain valuable skills, experience, and confidence as they prepare to take on the world’s very best at the star-studded event in Durban from 20 to 28 May. The team hopes to make their nation proud and showcase the unique and vibrant culture of the African continent to the rest of the world. They are also optimistic that local fans will attend the championships to support them. To follow their journey, visit the South African Table Tennis website.