The Slum Ping Pong (SPP) project in Uganda has acquired two Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA) tables courtesy of GIZ Uganda, an NGO with roots in Germany.
The UTTA Table Tennis Tables are locally manufactured out of Ugandan wood and other materials.
This followed a visit of the UTTA president Robert Jjagwe at the SPP base in Nsambya, a Kampala suburb.
Jjagwe also played some exhibition games with the top players at the club on these specially made tables.
He commended the exceptional work being executed by the players at SPP under the guidance of their coaches.
“This is truly excellent work going on here by our coaches. So many children at this club (over 80) and all very passionate about the sport. Their skill is also growing very impressively.”
These two tables were procured by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), a Germany based Non Governmental Organization (NGO).
GIZ provides services in the field of international development cooperation and international education work.
It is the organization’s self-declared goal to deliver effective solutions that offer people better prospects and sustainably improve their living conditions.
For starters, Slum Ping Ping Uganda is a club supported by the global Table Tennis governing body, International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
International Table Tennis Federation is helping to keep Slum children in schools using the Table Tennis sport.
Besides paying schools fees and other dues for the over 50 children, they also carter for the SPP coaches’ monthly salaries.
The children study at Railways Primary School, Nsambya, which also hosts the Slum Ping Pong (SPP) Table Tennis Club.
Meanwhile, Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA) made tables are repairable right here in the country; meaning that even if they get damaged, the entire table is not lost, it can actually be refurbished back to brand new.
According to Jjagwe, these UTTA tables are very nice, simple with a beautiful design and outlook.
They have an impressive durability spanning well over 5 years and made with very strong metal.
They are also easy to assemble and adjustability on all the four legs up to 6 inches meaning it can be properly leveled on almost any surface.
On the market, they cost between 1,000,000/= to 1,300,000/= unlike the imported brands which range between 1,500,000/= to 1,800,000/=.