ABADLALI be-table tennis abahamba phambili emhlabeni bazohlangana eThekwini emqhudelwaneni we-ITTF World Table Tennis Championships ka-2023 ozoba seThekwini kule nyanga.
Lo mqhudelwano odlalwa njalo ngemuva kweminyaka emibili uzobanjelwa e-International Convention Centre kusukela ngoMeyi 20 kuya kuMeyi 28.
Kuzobe kungokwesibili uuthi udlalelwe e-Afrika selokhu kwagcina e-Egypt ngo-1939.
Isicoco sabesilisa sizobangwa ngabadlali abangu-128 abakleliswe phezulu emhlabeni, kanjalo nesabesifazane. Kuzophinde kube nabadlala ngababili besilisa, abesifazane namaqembu ahlanganise ubulili.
UFan Zhendong waseChina ohamba phambili emhlabeni, uzovikela isicoco asinqoba ngo-2021 eHouston, e-United States of America. Nakwabesifazane uzobe ekhona umpetha wango-2021, uWang Manyu, ehambisana noSun Yingsha, osekleliswe phezulu emhlabeni.
Amathemba e-Afrika asemahlombe kaQuadri Aruna waseNigeria osendaweni ka-12 kwabesilisa noDina Meshref wase-Egypt, olele endaweni ka-29 kwabesifazane.
INingizimu Afrika izomelwa abadlali abayisishiyagalombili okuyimanje balungiselela lo mqhudelwano e-India.
Umpetha wabesilisa uTheo Cogill uzobe ebambisene noChetan Nathoo, nabadlali abasebancane uLiam Beukes noDean Levy.
Ithimba labesifazane lizoholwa nguDanisha Patel benoZodwa Maphanga, abazoyibamba nabadlali abasebasha uLailaa Edwards noMushfiqur Kalam.
“Lo mqhudelwano uyithuba elihle kubadlali bakuleli ukuze babone ukuthi bakuliphi izinga nokuthi kufanele bathuthuke kuphi.
“Yingakho sikhethe ukuhlanganisa abadlali abanamava nabancane ukuze ulwazi abazoluthola lwehlele ezizukulwaneni ezahlukene,” kusho okhulumela ikomiti elihlela lo mqhudelwano, uCraig Meyer.
Uqhubeke wabeka kanje: “Abadlali bethu bamatasatasa e-India, okungelinye lamazwe athuthuka ngendlela eyisimanga kwi-table tennis futhi esinobudlelwano obuhle nalo. Uma bebuya kuleyo khempu ngeSonto bazoqhubeka nokuzilolonga ndawonye eThekwini uze uqale umqhudelwano.
“Siyazi ukuthi asikho ezingeni eliphezulu njengamanye amazwe anamaligi e-table tennis ekhokhelayo kodwa ngeke sililahle ithuba lokufunda. Siyethemba ukuthi amazwe ase-Afrika asezingeni elithe xaxa njengeNigeria, Egypt neMorocco azokwenza konke okusemandleni futhi sifisa ukuthi abantu bakuleli bawaseke nawo.”
UMeyer uthe njengekomiti elihlela lo mqhudelwano ngokubambisana neSouth African Table Tennis Board ne-International Table Tennis Federation, bafisa ukuthi lo mqhudelwano ube nomthelela omuhle esifundazweni saKwaZulu-Natal ngokuthuthukisa lo mdlalo kanjalo nezomnotho.
Uthe ngesikhathi befaka isicelo sokusingatha lo mqhudelwano, bebeqophisana nedolobha iDusseldorf, eGermany, bavumelana ukuthi isifundazwe iKwaZulu-Natal yisona esingazuza lukhulu ngawo.
"Sibone kungcono singawuthathi siwuyise kwesinye isifundazwe esinakho konke ngoba sihlose ukuthi imali ezongena ifukule umnotho waKwaZulu-Natal. Siyazi lesi sifundazwe sike sakhahlamezeka ngenxa yezikhukhula nezibhelu.
"Ngaphandle kwalokho, sihlose ukuvusa uthando lwe-table tennis kulesi sifundazwe, kwazise sesike sakhiqiza inqwaba yezinkakha phambilini. Sibona lo mqhudelwano uyithuba elihle lokuvusa isasasa lalo mdlalo e-KZN njengoba lehlile eminyakeni engu-15 edlule, ” kusho uMeyer.
Amathikithi emidlalo azoqala ku-R50 kanti eminye imininingwane itholakala kwi-website yalo mqhudelwano ku-www.ittf.com.