After a 29-year hiatus, the Ugandan Women’s Senior Table Tennis Team has triumphantly returned to the continental medal podium, clinching a bronze medal at the recently concluded African Table Tennis Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Ugandan team, comprising seasoned players Nangonzi Parvin and Jemimah Nakawala, alongside the reigning Africa U11 Champion, Patience Anyango, displayed exceptional teamwork and determination throughout the tournament.
They successfully navigated their group stage, defeating Ethiopia, and then proceeded to overpower South Africa, a formidable opponent who secured bronze at the 2024 All Africa Games in Ghana, in the quarter-finals.
This victory signifies a major breakthrough for Ugandan table tennis, as both Ethiopia and South Africa have historically posed significant challenges for Ugandan teams.
Patience Anyango, Uganda’s U11 champion, played a pivotal role in securing the team’s bronze medal.
Her strategic play and crucial victories while competing in the third position proved decisive in their triumphs over both Ethiopia and South Africa.
Her experience gained at the U11 Africa Continental Hopes Championship held earlier this year in Botswana undoubtedly contributed to the team’s success.
This competition served as a valuable training ground for both Anyango and Sir Joseph Sebatindira, who are set to participate in the upcoming World Hopes U11 training camp and championship in Paraguay from November 1st to 8th, 2024.
Accompanied by their coaches, Alvin Katumba and Tendo Balyewunya from the renowned Nakasero TT Club, they will depart for Paraguay this Saturday via Cairo, Egypt.
Both players secured their qualifications for the Paraguay tournament at the Botswana U11 Continental Hopes Championships.
Another noteworthy performance came from Ugandan Men’s Seed 2 player, Samuel Ankunda Mbabazi.
In a display of remarkable skill and resilience, Mbabazi achieved a double victory over Africa Seed 8 and Tunisia’s Seed 1 player, Essid Wassim.
He defeated Wassim in both the team events and again in the singles competition, proving that Uganda’s rising talent can compete at the highest level, even against players from North Africa with potentially greater financial resources.
Mbabazi’s impressive performance earned him widespread admiration from spectators and a special token of appreciation from Alfred Bagueka, the newly appointed Deputy President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) from Cameroon.
He will now leverage his newfound experience at the International School Sports Federation Games taking place in Bahrain from October 23rd to 30th, 2024.
