THE Zimbabwe men's table tennis team made history on Wednesday, beating the Falkland Islands 3-0 in the team event at the ongoing Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in New Delhi, the country's first ever team victory at an elite international tournament.
The result ends an 88-year wait for Zimbabwe to win a team match at top-level international competition. The side is due to face neighbours Botswana later in the day.
Head coach Wang Liping said meticulous preparation was behind the win.
"We analysed hours of the Falkland Islands players' match footage before the game. We identified their weaknesses and tactical habits, then made a specific strategy for each of our players," Wang told NewsDay Sport.
Vikram Singh gave Zimbabwe an early lead in the opening match, following the game plan to pile pressure on his opponent's backhand.
Tino Fambira faced the toughest examination in the second match, dropping the first game 6-11 and looking tense in the process.
"At the interval I told him to forget the score and play like in training. Trust your drills and stay relaxed," Wang said.
Fambira responded by winning the next three games to put Zimbabwe 2-0 up.
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Tetanda Timiri completed the sweep in the third match. He raced into a 7-1 lead, allowed his opponent to close the gap to 7-5, before Wang called for a timeout.
"Every point matters. Don't underestimate your opponent. Use your attacking shots," Wang told him.
Timiri responded by taking four straight points to seal the 3-0 tie.
Wang, who oversees both the men's and women's national teams, said the victory reflected months of work on fundamentals, serve-and-attack patterns and mental preparation.
"This is not just about one win. It is proof that our training system is working. The players have worked very hard," he said.
For Singh, Fambira and Timiri, the win offers valuable confidence and experience as Zimbabwe continues its campaign at the championships.
Zimbabwe Table Tennis Union president Noah Ferenando credited the result in part to growing sporting ties between Zimbabwe and China.
"This victory is also a result of the growing sports cooperation between Zimbabwe and China. We appreciate the technical support and expertise that Coach Wang Liping has brought to our programme," Ferenando said.
