Zimbabwe Table Tennis Gets Lifeline From TableZen

ZIMBABWE table tennis scene has been given a new lease of life thanks to TableZen, a US-based non-profit organisation that has stepped in with a donation worth more than US$6,000.

The package, which includes Butterfly nets, Stag bats, three-star balls and scoreboards, is already transforming the way the game is played in schools and communities.

TableZen founder Yuvraj Gill said Zimbabwe was chosen because of its untapped potential and the pressing need to offer young people alternatives to negative social habits.

“Zimbabwe is a land full of opportunity and there is so much potential here,” he said.

“Unfortunately, in a lot of these streets, especially in the high density areas, there is a lot of drug abuse and table tennis we see is a way to fight that drug abuse and to ensure that the beautiful families and the beautiful people of Zimbabwe are able to grow past that.”

Gill explained that the organisation’s focus goes beyond simply handing over equipment. Their aim is to establish lasting table tennis clubs that can grow on their own. “We have to give them full control and the way we do that is by starting with the tables giving students the responsibility,” he said.

“We’ve gotten student volunteers who took pictures and we got their names and we signed them up as table tennis volunteers and what does this do this gives them the initiative now we are no longer the people who are starting these clubs the students are right they’re holding the fishing rod and they’re fishing.”

National coach Fungai Tanara, a former professional player and one of the few women coaching the sport in the country, welcomed the support.

“I am very grateful for this donation. I didn’t know there were tables from nowhere… it’s almost more than six thousand dollars for the donation that they’ve given us,” she said.

Tanara has been working tirelessly to expand the game to young girls and communities most affected by drug abuse. With the donation, her vision is reaching more schools.

“The initiative that I’d already started before they came in was to have ladies play table tennis and also this fight against drugs,” she explained.

“Today we had more than 50 girls that came at Queen Elizabeth School. I’m going to make an effort to coach for free in the schools as well so that they don’t complain about not having money to pay coaches.”