Table tennis thrives in Mash East

Sport
Table tennis seems to be growing in leaps and bounds after the Mashonaland East Table Tennis Union (METTU) successfully hosted annual awards at Winwood College in Ruwa last week.

By Munyaradzi Madzokere

Table tennis seems to be growing in leaps and bounds after the Mashonaland East Table Tennis Union (METTU) successfully hosted annual awards at Winwood College in Ruwa last week.

The biggest winners on the day were national team players Tinotenda Fambira from Goromonzi and Isheanesu Siringwani of Old Windsor Sports Academy, who emerged best in the male and female categories respectively.

Fambira and Siringwani were also crowned sportsman and sportswoman of the year for 2019 respectively, walking away with two accolades each on the day.

The awards were a reflection of inclusivity in sports as they featured the para sections and the players from rural areas while one of the rural players received a fees scholarship from the board.

“Table tennis is growing very fast in the province. As you know, Mashonaland East comprises mainly of rural areas and so we are taking the sport to the rural areas,” METTU chairperson Petronella Mtiwere said.

“We recently held a training clinic in Goromonzi at Juru Primary School where we were targeting teachers who seem very keen to coach the sport. We also identified a Grade Three boy at the school who we are going to pay tuition fees for after we saw the potential he has in table tennis,” she added.

Mtiwere highlighted the lack of equipment as a major hindrance to faster growth of table tennis in Mashonaland East, adding this year the union would aggressively seek sponsorship mainly for equipment.

Domboshava school Zimbiru Primary won the best rural school team award, while Goromonzi topped the best high school category and Old Windsor won the best primary school gong.

There was also recognition for two para athletes, brothers Darrel and Derrick Mabhaudi, who have excelled in the sport.

Naama Boterere, who represented the country at the Chinese Ambassador Cup in Zambia last year, won the girls, Under-10 class.

Best high school team Goromonzi

Best primary school team Old Windsor

Best infant school Shining Star

Best rural school Zimbiru Primary

Best U10 girl Boterere Naama

Best U10 boy Makamure Taremekedzwa

Best U12 girl Chidakwa Kuzivakwashe

Best U12 boy Kaserera Takudzwa

Best junior girl Chidakwa Kuzivakwashe

Best junior boy Mabaudi Aidan

Para athletes Mabaudhi Dereck Mabaudhi Daryl Best senior female Siringwani Isheanesu

Best senior male Fambira Tinotenda Most disciplined athlete Siringwani Angel

Best provincial coach Old Windsor

Best female umpire Muzah Primrose

Best male umpire Mutara Anthony

Sportswoman of the year Siringwani Isheanesu

Sportsman of the year Fambira Tinotenda