For most teams, a 280km journey from Mbarara to Lugogo Indoor Arena for the Kateregga Memorial Schools Championship is measured in hours on the road.
For Maryhill High School, however, the distance is measured in discipline, focus and moulding of a new generation of Table Tennis stars.
The Mbarara-based school brought a squad of six athletes, namely Praise Musime, Precious Akoragye, Allen Agirage, Renate Apaire, Anabel Ayebare, and Gillian Ashaba.
While the scoreboard at this year’s tournament might not reflect great results, coach Innocent Vinx Agaba is looking far beyond the results.
“We needed to have this exposure,” Agaba noted. “As a school, we believe in building young players so that we instil key aspects at an early age. This stage shows them exactly what is required from a top player.”
“They have not won any game yet, but we’ve had players taking a set. That has encouraged us. I believe the future is bright.” Coach Agaba remarked with a sense of pride that outweighed results.
For Agaba, those hard-fought sets are the building blocks of a top player mentality. By placing these promising new talents on a national stage, the school is instilling the discipline required to reach the pinnacle of the sport before they even hit their prime.
A shield to modern pressure
At Maryhill, the table tennis table is more than just a place to play; it is an environment of focus for teenagers often overwhelmed by modern pressure.
“In a world filled with pressure and constant information, table tennis helps our students settle down,” says Agaba.
“It allows them to focus on building important skills instead of falling into bad habits. I thank the school for always helping us to grow the sport.”
The sport is as much a mental workout as a physical one. The lightning-fast rallies teach these young women to make split-second decisions, a skill Agaba insists carries over directly to their schoolwork.
About Kateregga Memorial Schools Championship
The schools and institutions’ championship is organised in honour of Francis Kateregga, a rising star who clinched a historic bronze at the 1995 All-Africa Games in Zimbabwe before passing away in 1997 in a car accident.