ZIMBABWE will host the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Table Tennis Championships at Glen City in Mashonaland East from July 10 to 12, marking a significant boost for the country’s ambitions to grow the sport and strengthen regional competition.
ZTTU president Noah Fernando described the event as a milestone for the sport in Zimbabwe.
“The tournament provides a platform to strengthen regional cooperation, improve athlete development, increase visibility for the sport and inspire the next generation,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“It also gives Zimbabwean players a chance to compete against top regional talent on home soil.”
The event will bring together top players from across Southern Africa, with teams from Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and hosts Zimbabwe expected to compete.
Preparations are already underway, with ZTTU appointing national coaches Wang Liping and Raphael Gopito to oversee the senior men’s and women’s teams.
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The duo is tasked with managing preparations, technical development and player selection ahead of the championships. A national training camp has already been held at the Glen City venue, with athletes now in a walk-in camp continuing intensive preparations.
Team Zimbabwe has also received a boost through kit sponsorship for the men’s team from Major Sports Academy, while electronic performance tracking using Polar gadgets has been introduced to monitor athletes’ performance and progression through sports science.
The local organising committee says preparations are progressing well as Zimbabwe seeks to deliver a professionally run tournament.
Officials expect strong competition from regional powerhouses South Africa, Angola and Zambia.
“Zimbabwe’s objectives are to host a professional tournament, improve regional competitiveness, strengthen athlete pathways, expose emerging players to international play, and push for medals,” Fernando said.
“The technical team has focused on physical conditioning, tactical preparation, match fitness, mental preparation and performance analysis.”
ZTTU believes home advantage could play a role, with local players benefiting from crowd support, familiarity with conditions and reduced travel fatigue. However, the technical team says the focus remains on ensuring athletes are physically and mentally prepared.
Beyond competition, the championships are also expected to provide valuable experience for coaches, umpires, administrators and volunteers involved in staging international events.
ZTTU added that while provincial competitions, school leagues and national championships are helping develop talent, more competition opportunities, improved infrastructure and increased commercial investment will be needed to prepare Zimbabwean players for the global stage.