Grassy Park-based Duinefontein Table Tennis Club’s Rochica Sonday, 15, returned home from the recent International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Youth championships in Botswana, sporting a bronze medal she’d won in the girls’ under-19 category - the first South African player to finish in a medal position in the under 19 category.

A well-travelled player, Rochica, a Grade 10 pupil at Lavender Hill High School, is no stranger to continental competitions, having faced off against her peers in Tunisia, Morocco, Ghana and Angola since she first picked up a paddle seven years ago.

“It went very well. I played eight games in total. And was not nervous at all,” she said. After I won my quarter-final match I was very confident to do the same in the semi-finals but unfortunately I lost,” she said.

Although satisfied with the result, a bigger headache awaited upon her arrival home which threw a spanner in the works of plans to prepare for the upcoming national championships.

Current SA under-15 and under-19 national champion, Rochica, along with other qualifying players, have been left in the lurch, following Cape Town Table Tennis’ decision not to send a squad to the national championships in Johannesburg, in September, due to financial constraints.

But the youngster has not given up on making her mark at this year’s nationals as clubs and players have been given the green light to travel to Johannesburg as individuals and at their own expense.

“I love the competitive aspect of the sport, the thrill of competition, the rush of adrenaline and testing my skills against others,” she said.

“Most of all, I like pushing myself to improve, mastering new skills and techniques,” she said.

A physically demanding sport, the mental aspect, dealing with pressure and stress during matches can be equally tough, she said.

Pictured are Duinefontein Table Tennis Club members, some of whom have qualified to attend this year’s national championships, in Johannesburg. The squad includes SA under-19 champion, Liam Beukes, back row, far right, who won the title in 2021 and in 2023.

Add to that the worry of having to raise funds to travel to nationals, and you have an even bigger headache, said club chairman Wafeeq Domingo.

He said nine of the club’s juniors and a few seniors, including match officials - 16 altogether - are hoping to attend the national championships. As such, he said, they’ have been knocking on doors and initiated various fundraising effort to achieve this goal, but are still falling short.

Duinefontein senior member Liam Beukes on his way to winning the national under-19 title at last year’s national championships in Cape Town. The star player and team mate Rochica Sonday, are hoping to defend their titles at this year’s championships, in Johannesburg, if they can raise the funds to get there. Picture: Fuad Esack

“Each junior requires R8000 for this trip to cover travelling, accommodation, meals, playing kit and entry fees. Most of our juniors come from Lavender Hill, Manenberg, Bonteheuwel and surrounding areas,” he said.

“We are in dire need of funding as we would love to provide our juniors the opportunity to compete at the nationals in Johannesburg. The club has year in and year out produced the most national junior players over the past decade and we would like to carry on with this rich tradition,” he said.

Duinefontein Table Tennis Club’s Rochica Sonday, gears up to serve during a match at the recent ITTF Africa Youth championships in Gabarone, Botswana.

“Rochica has been the golden girl of SA table tennis almost from the time she first picked up a racket. She has won the under-11, under-13, under-15 and the under-19 national titles over the past six years. She is the current SA under-15 and under-19 champion as well as a member of the South African national women's team,” he said.

“In 2023, at the age of 14, she went undefeated in all women's tournaments she participated in. I have been coaching table tennis for two decades and have never come across such a talent in this sport,” he said.

Current SA under-15 and under-19 champion, Duinefontein Table Tennis Club’s Rochica Sonday, keeps her eye on the ball at last year’ national championships, held in Cape Town. Picture: Fuad Esack

Although a lack of funds remains an obstacle, Domingo is happy to share his love for the game and encourages anyone to start playing, the sooner the better.

“Table tennis is a great sport for people of any age, male or female, to play. In South Africa we have age categories that cater for all, from under-11 all the way up to over-70.”

He said the sport is specifically good for children as it can help to promote physical fitness and strategic thinking, improve hand-eye coordination, enhance reflexes and agility and develop concentration and focus.

“It's a relatively safe sport with a low risk of injury. It is played indoors, making it accessible year round. Now all we need is a bit of a helping hand to get our players to the national championships,” he said.

Training sessions take place at Fairview Primary School on Mondays and Tuesdays, starting at 7pm. For more information or if you’d like to help, email duinefonteinttc@gmail.com or call Domingo on 073 909 1978.

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Table tennis players scramble to raise funds for nationals