E.A tennis bosses set for talks over regions diminishing sport

A total of 11 Table Tennis Federation Presidents from within the ITTF-ATTF Eastern region will on Saturday converge at Nairobi’s Parklands Sports Club as the Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) prepares to host a groundbreaking meeting with its regional officials.

Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and hosts Kenya have confirmed their participation for the event where they will explore solutions for uplifting standards of the tennis.

According to KTTA President Andrew Mudibo, discussions on how to breathe fresh life into the sport that has stagnated over the past few years will top the day’s agenda.

“Member countries in the region will also discuss equipment distribution among other pressing issues which affect the sport regionally. Bringing in the requisite equipment for play has been quite a challenge when costs are factored in.

“Development has indeed been the key ingredient to success for the countries which have dominated the sport at global level. The essence during the meeting will be to explore ways and means through which we will steer the game to desirable heights,” Mudibo said.

“As hosts we are overly glad that this is the first time that the region is coming together to chart the way forward in its development agenda. Top on the agenda will be regional development events,” Mudibo added.

Mudibo said participants for the event will arrive in Nairobi on Friday well in time for the event.

Hosts Kenya Table Tennis Association has played a pivotal role in the development of the sport in the region by hosting players from Uganda and Tanzania in locally organized events.

“It’s indeed amazing anytime we host the region fpe events. Ugandans have been regular participants of our events MD this way we have contrived to steertje game in the region to the next level,” he added.

KTTA through the Tucheze Tebo initiative has achieved quite a lot over the past few months including hosting the legendary Nigerian Segun Toriola for a weeklong training clinic and Sports For Tomorrow from Japan.