01 Feb 2019

Empowering national associations in Africa, the International Table Tennis Federation has boosted the fortunes of table tennis in Uganda with a donation of equipment.

In response, the Uganda Table Tennis Association has decided to deploy the equipment to schools across the nation.

by Olalekan Okusan, ITTF Africa Press Officer

It was a delighted Robert Jjagwe, the President of the Uganda Table Tennis Association, who unveiled the donated equipment in Kampala on Tuesday 29th January.

“The Uganda Table Tennis Association has received three equipment packages from the International Table Tennis Federation. The first package arrived in August 2018, the second in December 2018 and the last in January 2019. The first package contained six tables, six score counters, six net and post sets, 80 rackets and 960 balls. The second and third packages contained equipment for TTX; those packages had over 100 rackets, over 240 balls, over 50 bags and 37 TTX face towels. The Uganda Table Tennis Association is launching the TTX version of table tennis in the international schools of Uganda to bring them closer to the sport.

We wish to thank the International Table Tennis Federation for the generous and timely equipment offers to Uganda. As you may be aware the tables at our National Training Centre had become dilapidated due to their old age of over eight years. Old tables also give our players a totally different feel in terms of the way the ball bounces on the table. The new tables will therefore help our players train effectively for our two major upcoming table tennis competitions, the ITTF Eastern Africa Senior Championships to be held in Uganda in July 2019 and then the All Africa Games in Morocco in September 2019.

We dispatched a group of 10 coaches to 10 international schools in Uganda. We decided to give TTX to the international schools as we thought it suits them best and we also needed them closer to the Uganda Table Tennis Association. We have always wanted those international schools closer to us and TTX will afford them the opportunity to get closer to these schools.

We shall run a one month’s training programme on TTX climaxing into a TTX competition on 23rd February at Gems Cambridge International School.

We wish to thank the International Table Tennis Federation for these generous and timely equipment offers to Uganda. We want to thank, the National Council of Sports for the special way they gave funds that were used to clear taxes and storage fees of this equipment. In particular we want to thank the Acting General Secretary Dr. Ogwel and the Chairman Mr. Onyik Bosco for ensuring timely release of the funds.”

General News Uganda