School table tennis journey to national in full swing

By Staff Reporter

QWAQWA- Learners from Tsebo senior secondary ,Lebohang primary school , Bolata secondary school ,Bethlehem Comprehensive school and Beacon Learners who took part in tournament that aimed at selecting under 14 and 18 tournament who will represent district at province on September 24,2022 .
This after they successful won a table tennis tournament held at Tshiya hall last Sunday and they are now preparing to secure their place at national level where they will be representing the country if they also win.

Sharing the impact of playing table tennis Sello Ralefuma , a grade 11 learner from Bolata has this to say: ”Since joining this sport, my concentration in class has improved and so my marks. It has also helped me emotionally, I am now able share my problems and get proper advice and solutions.”
Ralefuma is not new in table tennis tournament, he once competed at national level but lost.

A teacher from Tsebo Senior Secondary school Tshepiso Senyane says he had introduced this sport at school in compliant with call made by Education MEC Tate Makgoe who require s schools to have five sporting codes.
“At our school we have football ,netball , volleyball , chess which under my supervision, then I decided to introduce table tennis instead of softball in a bid to broaden participation in sports. There are some learners who cannot play some certain sports therefore having variety will enable them to be accommodated. In the football we also include ladies’ soccer and this will also enable us to attract sponsors. We are doing very well.”

Senyane said tennis table has contributed a lot in disciplining the children and also enabling them to open up about their problems.
“Because corporal punishment has been abolished , we use coaching as a way of discipline a child. When he has made a mistake somewhere he would want the coach to know because he would be eliminated from the team as a form of discipline. It has assisted us in terms of approach and closeness to children. I had one learner who participated in the Cape during winter games , I never knew that he was an orphan up until his won in Northern Cape from there I started following him. He disclosed to me that he is an orphan. We are now able to assist him and our approach has also changed for better towards him.”

Coordinator of table tennis in Thabo Mofutsanayana district Zimu Zwelibang said the competition in table tennis has also included learners who are living with disability who are competing separately at Thibiloha.
He said learners were picked from all schools which have table tennis across six local municipalities in Thabo Mofutsanyana district municipality which are Mantsop, Setsoto, Dihlabeng , Nketoana , Maluti-a-Phofung and Phumelela municipalities.

He said due to Covid-19 learners are slow to pick up but former learners who played table tennis have been added to assist.