New ping pong king hungry for dominance
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday March 5, 2021 12:40
Unlike in the women’s category, where the number one spot has seen almost a decade-long dominance between Tshepiso Rebatenne and Boitshwarelo Butale, the men’s has become more like a script from the television series Game of Thrones. The series’ plot centres around control over the ‘Iron Throne’, a seat that has control over the seven kingdoms with a web of political conflicts amongst the noble families either vying to claim the throne or fighting for independence. In 73 episodes broadcast over eight seasons, 20 people have sat on the coveted Iron Throne.
Last weekend, Bakang Maloka climbed up to claim the throne and announce himself as the new table tennis king. The Moshupa Spinners’ player won the Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) season opener and toppled Boago Malobela off the top spot. In the last decade, Thobo Matlhatsi, Bonolo Mabote, Tshenolo Mooketso and lately Malobela, have sat on the ping pong throne.
The new king has other plans as he intends to make the spot his own.
He said he is aware of the potential threat from fellow players, but his strategy to dominate is centred on vigorous training and preparation. “I have to be fit. I am planning on being physically fit and divide my schedule probably so I can stay at the top.
It is just to mend a few things, to know which areas to work on training and to have a proper training schedule.
The other thing is to try to avoid the pressure. I should not let the pressure of being number one get to me,” Maloka said. He cited former number ones, Malobela and Mooketsi, alongside budding star Sean Dekop as the main threats to his reign.
Maloka had been hanging around in the shadows over the past few seasons but announced his intentions when he got his first national championship triumph in 2017, at the age of 20. From then his form took a dip but he has since found his mojo finishing the 2020 season on the third spot.
“It was a difficult period, I think it was caused by lack of training because at the time there was also pressure from school. At the same time, I also did not have money to buy proper equipment.”
The 24-year-old first played ping pong while at primary school at his aunt’s place, who at the time had a ping pong table.
At the time, Maloka was a football player but took up table tennis during his secondary school years. He recalls a win over then number one, Mabote in 2016 while still a teenager, as a turnaround of his career.
“I will always remember when I played with Mabote. He always gave me a hard time. He won every time and I used to cry when he beat me. I always wanted to beat him.”
He said his target is to play at the ITTF World Cup and ITTF World Table Tennis Championships. Maloka is now a seasoned national team player and won a bronze medal at the AUSC Region 5 games held in Lesotho in 2019.