UMENGAMELI weSouth African (SA) Table Tennis, uJoe Carrim, uthi benza konke okusemandleni njengabaholi benhlangano ezweni lonke, ukuthi umdlalo we-table tennis ufinyelele ezingeni elifanayo neminye imidlalo enedumela kuleli.
UCarrim ukusho lokhu ngoLwesihlanu ngenkathi kwethulwa ngokusemthethweni umqhudelwano weWorld Table Tennis Championships eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
Lo mqhudelwano womhlaba we-table tennis ozobanjelwa eThekwini ngoMeyi ka-2023, uzoba yingqophamlando ngoba wagcine ukubanjelwa e-Afrika ngo-1939, e-Egypt.
“Kuyiqinso ukuthi umdlalo we-table tennis awukabi sezingeni elifanayo neminye imidlalo seNingizimu Afrika, ngokwedumela kodwa ukuthola kwethu ilungelo lokusingatha lo mqhudelwano womhlaba kuleli zwe lakithi, sekusiqinise idolo kwasikhuthaza ekutheni sibhukule sifingqe imikhono ekuwuthatheni siwubeke kwelinye izinga,” kuchaza uCarrim.
Uqhube wathi bafuna ukubona umdlalo ufinyelela nasezindaweni ezisemakhaya, ukuze likhule isasasa lawo futhi bande nabadlali bawo ezindaweni ezazincishwe amathuba phambilini.
“Sikhethe iTheku njengendawo ekufanele kakhulu ukusingatha umqhudelwano wezinga lomhlaba ngenxa yengqalasizinda yalo ikakhulu ngasohlangothini lwezokuvakasha ngoba azobe emaningi amazwe azobamba iqhaza kuwo,” kusho uCarrim.
UNgqongqoshe wezeMidlalo, amaSiko namaCiko, uHlengiwe Mavimbela, uthi umqhudelwano ufika ngesikhathi esihle impela eThekwini, ngoba lisazikhotha amanxeba emva kukhahlanyezwa yizikhukhula ezikhinyabeze nomnotho wedolobha.
“Sinethemba elikhulu ukuthi umqhudelwano womhlaba we-table tennis uzoshintsha isithombe ngeTheku, nesifundazwe iKwaZulu-Natal jikelele. Cishe sesaziwa emhlabeni njengendawo ekhungethwe yizikhukhula. Siyazi ukuthi imifanekiso evela emithonjeni yabezindaba emazweni omhlaba ikhombisa okubi ngeKwaZulu-Natal njengamanje, njengesifundazwe esikhahlanyezwe yizikhukhula nesinobubha.
“Ngakho-ke sinethemba elikhulu ukuthi lo mqhudelwano uzoveza olunye uhlangothi oluhle ngeTheku neKwaZulu-Natal njengendawo enhle enengqalasizinda nezindawo ezinhle zokusingatha izivakashi,” kusho uMavimbela.
UMavimbela uveze nokuthi njengoMnyango wezeMidlalo esifundazweni benza okusemandleni ukuthuthukisa umdlalo, ikakhulu ezingxenyeni ezizungezwe yizindawo zasemakhaya.