Table tennis juniors vie for China spots at Zim Op...

Table tennis juniors vie for China spots at Zim Open

File pic of Zimbabwe and China teams before the Chinese Ambassador Cup

Four junior table tennis players who impress at the Zimbabwe Open starting today, will be go for a training camp in China.

“We are sending four athletes to China, so we just want to see how they are developing but basically these championships are targeting juniors and seniors,” said Table Tennis Union president Noah Ferenando.

He said this year’s edition of Zimbabwe Open is particularly significant.

“We are using it to prepare our team for World Cup qualifiers which are going to be in Botswana from the 29th of June and we will also use it to harness the talent that we have in the country so that we can have a selection of juniors that we are sending to China under the auspices of the Chinese Community living in Zimbabwe,” he said.

The Chinese community in Zimbabwe has had a keen interest in the sport for years and invested in development through various sponsorship packages.

The Zimbabwe Open starting today at Divaris Makaharis School will end tomorrow.

About 200 players will compete in the Under-10, Under-12, Under-15 and Under 21 and Open categories.

There is also a para-division and foreign players from Zambia and Malawi.