Zimpapers Logo

Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter

Zimbabwe Table Tennis Union president Noah Ferenando says they are ready to battle for the Chinese Ambassador’s Cup title.

This year’s edition is set for the Harare International School over the weekend.

The China-Zimbabwe table tennis tournament was successfully launched at a colourful ceremony in the capital yesterday.

“We are expecting to turn the tables against our opponents who have dominated in the last two editions,’’ said Ferenando.

“We have been working hard for the past month and we look forward to doing well as this will be used as preparations for the upcoming Region V Games in Lesotho in December.

“We are ready for 2019 Chinese Ambassadors Cup, which is one of the biggest fixtures on the local table tennis calendar, and meant to give players with a national ranking the much-needed experience and exposure.’’

The tournament will feature Zimbabwe and Chinese men and women teams, as well as singles matches with preliminaries being held this Saturday and finals on Sunday. Nine men and seven women have since confirmed their availability for the annual competition — a contest pitting Zimbabwe national team players and Chinese residents in the country.

The Chinese Ambassador’s Cup is sponsored by local companies and Chinese business communities in Zimbabwe.

It is expected to further strengthen the two countries’ strong relationships and promote bilateral co-operation.

The tournament will be hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe and co-organised by the Zimbabwe Chinese Table Tennis Association and the Zimbabwe Table Tennis Union.