By GRACE CHAILE  –
MISHECK Tembo will be hoping to defend his Under-18 boys title when the Zambia Table Tennis Association (ZTTA) hosts the second edition of the national junior championship at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka today.
Tembo, who plays for Old Kabanana, will fancy his chances of retaining the title in absence of Ping-Pong Stars’ Choolwe Hamalambo, who has opted to compete in the seniors to get stiffer competition and experience.
But Tembo will need to be at his best to beat the likes of Mumba Nsunge of Olympafrica, a player he beat three weeks ago, Jeconia Lambe of Ng’ombe PTA School and Zaninge Kaira of Ping-Pong Stars to retain the title.
In the Under-14 boy’s category, defending champion Kaira is favoured to retain the title he won after beating Charles Mutambo (Ping-Pong Stars) but must be wary that the latter and the likes of Mwiza Siame (Ng’ombe PTA) will be out to grab the title.
Chanda Muma of Olympafrica will seek to continue with his dominant run in the Under Eight category where he faces stern challenge from Sydney Sakala (Ng’ombe PTA) and his team-mate Dismas Mutale.
The Olympafrica trio of Stephen Sululu, Happson Munga and Wisdom Nyirenda will be among the players eyeing the Under-12 crown being defended by Nyirenda.
In the women events, rivalry continues between the Ping Pong Stars duo of Latifa Nalavwe and Mubanga Kunda for the title which the two have exchanged in the last two meetings.
Janet Mwelwa puts her Under-12 title on the line when she faces Harriet Tembo and Martha Banda both of Ng’ombe PTA, and her team-mate at Olympafrica Monica Mutale.
Meanwhile, the day-long tournament is being sponsored by Bookworld and ZTTA patron Haroon Ghumra. Ghumra said he was expecting exciting games as the players have prepared adequately for the tournament.
He thanked Bookworld for coming on board and called on other companies to come on board and help develop table tennis at grassroots level.