Overview:
The players will first engage in an ITTF high level training camp (9th to 13th July 2024) before the tournament will serve off on Sunday, 14th July 2024 with the Hopes (U-11) event. Thereafter, the Youth championship (U-15 to U-19) will take center stage from the 15th to 21st July 2024.
- Event: 2024 Africa Hopes (U-11) & Youth (U-15 to U-19) Championship
- Dates: 14th – 21st July
- Venue: Gaborone, Botswana
- Composition: Joseph Sebatindira, Samuel Ankunda Mbabazi, Sharif Nsereko (Boys) & Patra Nasirumbi, Patience Anyango, Judith Mirembe (Girls)
- Officials: Alvin Katumba (Head of delegation & head coach), Monica Kisakye (International Umpire)
Team Uganda has set off from Entebbe International to Botswana’s capital city of Gaborone to feature at the 2024 Africa Hopes (U-11) and Youth (U-15 to U-19) Table Tennis championship.
The eight-man delegation of players and officials left the country aboard Ethiopian Airlines on the morning of Monday, 8th July 2024.
There are six players on the Joseph Sebatindira, Samuel Ankunda Mbabazi, Sharif Nsereko (Boys) as well as Patra Nasirumbi, Patience Anyango and Judith Mirembe (Girls).
Alvin Katumba traveled as the head of delegation as well as the head coach whilst Monica Kisakye is an international Umpire who will officiate at the games.
The players will first engage in an ITTF high level training camp (9th to 13th July 2024) before the tournament will serve off on Sunday, 14th July 2024 with the Hopes (U-11) event.
Thereafter, the Youth championship (U-15 to U-19) will take center stage from the 15th to 21st July 2024.
The traveling delegation was hosted at a send-off luncheon held at Baguma Restaurant in Nakasero, Kampala on Sunday, 7th July 2024.
Robert Jjagwe, the president of Uganda Table Tennis Association, his vice Francis Mulinda, coach Iddi Wotsosi, other coaches and seniors graced this luncheon.
“The team has prepared well and I have confidence in what they can deliver” Jjagwe stated.
“I thank all the coaches who have worked with the players in training, the Government of Uganda through the National Council of Sports (NCS) and Parliament, three time Olympian Mary Musoke, Mr Mark Winter (a Germany national leaving in Germany who supports the T.T Kids club with two branches in Katwe and Iganga) and the parents of the players” Jjagwe added.
Speaking on behalf of the players, Samuel Ankunda Mbabazi expressed readiness to face the continent’s finest players.
“We have been training well and we are set. We thank our coaches and the UTTA management for every effort done to assemble the teams. We shall give our best effort” Mbabazi, a player at Kibuli S.S stated.
Current world U-11 champion Joseph Sebatindira is highly tipped for the Hopes (U-11) tournament.
He will compete alongside Sharif Nsereko, a promising player with a great spinning technique.
“The team is in great shape and we shall compete for every ball there is at the championship. We thank everybody for the roles done to assemble the team” Alvin Katumba, the team head coach and head of delegation remarked.
Mbabazi will only play in the Youths championship while the other five players will feature in the Hopes and Youths tournaments; Sebatindira, Nsereko, Nasirumbi, Anyango and Mirembe.
International umpire Monica Kisakye will officiate at this tournament that has all the winners and runners up from the five regions of Africa (North, East, West, Central and South Africa).
