THE Zimbabwe Table Tennis Union (ZTTU) is looking forward to reap the rewards from the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships which conclude in Durban, South Africa today.
It is only the second time in the history of the competition to be staged in Africa, but unfortunately none of the country's players qualified for the global event.
Egypt, back in 1939, was the last African country to host the event.
However, ZTTU president Noah Ferenando has been part of the week-long festivities. He left the country last Sunday, a day after the games began.
Ferenando expressed excitement about the opportunities that will open up for the country through his involvement at the World Championships.
"I am here at the World Championships in my capacity as the vice-president African Union Sport Council Region V table tennis division. This is a great opportunity for us as a country though we don't have athletes that have qualified for this edition of the World Championships," Ferenando said.
"But being here I have been involved in strategic meetings and trying to forge partnerships with world table tennis companies and partners trying to share our vision as Zimbabwe in our bid to develop the sport and grassroots programmes.
"This was a great opportunity for Zimbabwe to be represented at the world stage. We have a platform where we can have dialogue with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) and the region in trying to fund the development of the sport in Zimbabwe.
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"ZTTU has already managed to benefit from as well as completing the participation programme and we hope to unlock other programmes that are there. On our part we have come up with a training camp project where we are going to need an expert coach to come and improve the skills of some of our best players so that they can be better contenders for competitions such as the World Championships," Ferenando added.
The local table tennis body has already benefited from the equipment support initiative. They have received eight tables, balls and bats that have been distributed to the provinces and colleges.
After the successful staging of the Zimbabwe Open last month, ZTTU has selected four junior athletes who are going to go for a month-long training camp in China this winter.
The Chinese community living in Zimbabwe, which has been instrumental in the development of the sport in the country for a while, are sponsoring the trip.
Next month the country will also be sending a team to the ITTF Africa Senior championships Region V qualifiers, which will be held from June 29 to July 2 in Gaborone, Botswana.
