Table tennis sensation targets top eight ranking
Kabelo Boranabi | Thursday January 7, 2016 12:06
The 19-year-old started last season sitting at position 45, but has risen to 19th spot in the Botswana Table Tennis Association rankings.
He told Mmegi Sport yesterday that he wants to break into the top eight in order to be counted among the country’s best players.
“Firstly, I want to finish this season ranked in the top 8. Secondly, I want to defend all my titles and thirdly I want to cement my spot as one of the best players in the Southern African region,” he said.
Malobela had a fruitful 2015 as he dominated junior competitions. He won all the competitions he participated in at the Botswana Integrated Sports Association tournament. He won the Under-20 men’s singles, Under-20 mixed doubles and Under-20 doubles, which earned him a call-up to the senior national team that took part in the Union Sports Commission (AUSC) Region 5 championships held in Namibia late last year. “The national team experience helped me a lot as I now know what is expected of me as a player. I faced top players like Allessio Peter of Angola, whom I won a set against. This showed me I can do much better. The tournament was a learning curve for me,” said the man known as ‘King Nadal’ in ping pong circles.
The youngster said he looks up to fellow Smash Maniacs teammate Bonolo Mabote, who is currently the top ranked player in the country. “My toughest opponent would be Chise Keromang of the BDF club. We have faced a couple of times and he always gives me problems.”
However, the electrical engineering student at New Era College admitted that there is too much talent in the country, but poor development structures may hamper the sport’s development. “I think the development structures should be improved because there are many good young players who left this sport due to poor development structures, lack of efficient training camps and lack of qualified coaches. Most of them are based in the Gaborone area while players in Maun, Kasane and Gantsi are somehow neglected,” he said.