Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenyans will be looking to face the continent’s best in World Championship qualifiers which serve off tomorrow at Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
The ITTF-Africa Cup has attracted the creme de la creme of Africa table tennis including Omar Assar of Egypt and his longstanding rival Aruna Quadri of Nigeria.
Assar arrived in the country on Monday and immediately embarked on his final face of the event.
“I have won nine continental titles and am eager to make It 10! So let’s hope it will happen in Nairobi on my second visit. In 2018 when I visited first, I performed pretty well and I am looking forward to a repeat performance,” said Assar.
Je added: “Aruna will be playing too and he’s one of the favourites for the title. Last time, we had a very good match and a very good rivalry. I’m looking forward to having a good performance and an even better match this time.”
The home campaign will be spearheaded by Brian Mutua and the University of Nairobi’s Bachelor of Arts second-year student Lisa Wele.
The Kenya team also has Bahati Rufina, school teacher Lydia Setey and JKUAT student Mary Kinyua who was handed a wildcard entry to the event.
Mutua, who made his Kenya team debut at the Beau Bassin Sports Complex in Mauritius during the 2017 Eastern African Regional Championships, will be joined by IT expert Josiah Wandera and Peter Theuri while Boniface Musyoki joins the squad on a wildcard entry.
Wele is one of the team’s rising stars having won gold in the East African School Games in 2019, and KUSF University Games in Kibabi in 2021.
She also took part in the 2019 All-African Games in Morocco and the recent ITTF-Africa regional championship in Djibouti.
Wele said: “Always a great pleasure representing my country in a continental extravaganza. It is an incredibly rewarding achievement, whether you have competed for the national team or if this is your first call-up. I had an opportunity to represent Kenya at the All Africa Games in Morocco and I feel confident going into the event.”
Kinyua, the East Africa High School Games silver medalist in 2019, is Kenya team’s newest protégé who will be banking on her illustrious offensive skills against the crème de la crème of the continent.
The men’s team is equally experienced and resilient. Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) President Andrew Mudibo said: “This will be the second time in five years that we will be hosting a continental event. In 2018, we hosted the Africa Cup, which was the World Cup qualifiers for the continent and the championship was voted the best organized event in the World by the International Table Tennis Federation.”
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