By Jones Gadama
The Table Tennis Association of Malawi (Ttam) has announced its Under-18 squad that will represent the country at the Region 5 Games in Namibia this July.
The eight-member team comprises four boys and four girls who emerged victorious in a national tournament held at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
The selected players are:
- Boys:
- Amelo Nkhoma
- Bentry Tembo
- Mattias Hamilton
- Gift Kaunda
- Girls:
- Doreen Guza
- Amatia Alibaba
- Thokozani Guza
- Zandire Ziyaya
The players were selected based on their performance in a national tournament that featured 14 top players from the Southern, Central, and Central regions of the country.
Ttam president Kelechi Kenneth Chinatu said the tournament was used as a platform for identifying the best players to represent Malawi at the Region 5 Games.
“We used this tournament as a platform for identifying our ambassadors because we wanted to ensure that our athletes are selected on merit,” Chinatu said.
He commended the Malawi National Council of Sports and Malawi Olympic Committee for their support in bankrolling the tournament.
However, Chinatu appealed to the corporate world to support table tennis in Malawi by providing equipment and other resources to uplift the sport’s standards.
“We need the support of the corporate world to help us develop table tennis in Malawi,” he said.
The Region 5 Games will provide a platform for Malawian table tennis players to compete against other top players in the region.
With the right support and resources, the team is expected to make a significant impact in the competition.
The selection of the team is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players, coaches, and officials involved in the sport.
The Malawi Table Tennis Association hopes to continue developing the sport and producing talented players who can compete at the highest level.
As the team prepares to represent Malawi at the Region 5 Games, they will need all the support they can get from Malawians and the corporate world.
With the right resources and backing, the team is expected to make a positive impact and bring glory to the country.¹