Pretoria - Table tennis player Zodwa Maphanga, 31, from Atteridgeville, Pretoria, is back to her best following a two-year break.
Maphanga is part of the South African team that will do duty in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from July 28 to August 8.
She has had to work her way up again after taking a two year break in 2017. She got back into the game in 2019.
“The break was okay, but there were times I missed table tennis a lot. I was used to being busy. Just sitting and not doing anything wasn’t in me. I’d even ask myself, why did I take this break?”
After the break, Maphanga said she had to start from scratch and improve her ranking.
“I had to work my way up because I no longer had a ranking. I had to work hard to get a ranking again. But here I am, back in the national team,” she said.
Maphanga will play as part of teams in the mixed doubles, doubles and singles contests at the games.
“The preparations are going well so far. I still have another training session I need to attend five days before the tournament.
“I’m excited but nervous, because these are the biggest games ever. It’s not going to be easy; it’s going to be tough at some point because there will be top players from all over the world, but I’m ready to fight all the way.”
Maphanga said her first Commonwealth Games were in India in 2009. She described the experience as “okay” for the youngster she was at the time.
“What I have experienced was that there were a lot of good players out there, and when you want to be a good player, you need to put in the good work.
“People think table tennis is an easy sport that is played for fun,but that’s not how it is. It’s a mind game.”
Pretoria News