Intaka ibekelwe amazolo ngomphebezo wasetafuleni eThekwini
Ayaphela amaphupho kusasa njengoba uqala umqhudelwano waminyaka yonke i-ITTF World Table Tennis Championship.
Lo mqhudelwano ozothatha izinsuku eziyi-8. Uzosongwa mhla zingama-28 kwephezulu uzobe ubanjelwe e-International Convention Centre (ICC) eThekwini.
Kuwumlando omkhulu ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika isingathe lo mqhudelwano, okwenza lokho ingoba sekuphele iminyaka engama-83 kwagcina ukwenzeka lokho. Izwe elagcina ukusingatha lo mqhudelwano i-Egypt ngonyaka we-1939, ukuqala ukuba khona kwawo kwabe kuwunyaka we-1926 e-United Kingdom. Amazwe ajwayele ukusingatha lo mqhudelwano i-US, iJapan, iMalaysia neChina ejwayele ukuba ngompetha bawo.
Osokhaya iNingizimu Afrika batheleke kuleli ngeSonto ebusuku ngemuva kokuhlala amasonto amathathu lizilolongela eNew Delhi, e-India.
Balinganiselwa kuma-600 abadlali abazoba yingxenye yalo mqhudelwano, abasuka emazweni ahlukene.
Abadlali abazobe bebhekiwe ukuthi benze kahle kukhona uMa Long, uChen Neng, uFan Zhendong, uSun Yingsha abaqhamuka eChina. Kwabesifazane ukhona uWang Manyu onqobe isicoco nyakenye.
Abadlali okuyibo abangabhincisela nxanye abadlali baseChina, abadlali baseSweden uMattias Falck owahlulwa kowamanqamu ngowezi-2019, noTruis Moregardh yena owahlulwa kowamanqamu ngowezi-2021 kuyimanje ukeliswe endaweni yesikhombisa emhlabeni. Ukhona noHaritomo Tomokazu waseJapan okeliswe endaweni yesine emhlabeni.
Lapha ezwenikazi i-Afrika amathemba alele ku-Omar Assar wase-Egypt ongumpetha we-African Cup kwabesilisa, uHana Goda naye wase-Egypt. UHana oeminyaka yobudala eli-15 nyakenye uqophe umlando eba ngumdlali omncane wokuqala ukunqoba i-African Cup eyabe iseLagos, eNigeria.
Umqeqeshi, weqwmbu kaseNingizimu Afrika uSimon Gologolo, uthe ugculisekile ngokuthuthuka kweqembu kulo mdlalo. “Kumele ngibonge iSouth African Table Tennis Board ngokusivumela ukuthi sizilolonge eDelhi amasonto amathathu. Esikufunde khona kuyamangalisa. Iqembu lisebenze kanzima usuku nosuku. Bonke bazikhandlile kusukela osukwini lokuqala kuze kube usuku lokugcina. Bathinte okufanele bakwenze etafuleni, bazivocavoca baphinde baqeqeshwa nangokomqondo. I-STAG Table Tennis Academy isamukele ngezandla ezimhlophe, iholwa ngumqeqeshi uSandeep Gupta. Abadlali bethu bebengcweka nabadlali abaseqophelweni eliphezulu abavela ezindaweni ezahlukene emhlabeni,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.
Ubalule ukuthi iqemvu lingcono kakhulu likulungele ukubhekana nanoma iyiphi inselelo. Iqembu labesilisa liholwa ngumpetha wakuleli, uTheo Cogill, ozobambisana noChetan Nathoo, uLiam Beukes noDean Levy.
Elabesifazane libunjwe nguDanisha Patel, ongumpetha kazwelonke, uZodwa Maphanga, uMusfiqur Kalam noLaila Edwards.