Mutua, Wele headline Team Kenya for ITTF continental extravaganza

Offensive virtuoso Brian Mutua and University of Nairobi’s Bachelor of Arts second-year student Lisa Wele have been named in Team Kenya’s eight-member squad for the forthcoming ITTF-Africa continental extravaganza slated for the Kasarani indoor gymnasium.

Dubbed “Africa Festival of Table Tennis”, the event kicks off on 1 May with the Africa Club Championship that runs up to 3 May before giving way to the World Cup qualifiers (ITTF Africa Cup) from 4 to 6 May.

Joining Wele in the Kenya ladies’ team are Bahati Rufina, St. Monica Kitale’s school teacher Lydia Setey and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) student Mary Kinyua who was handed a wildcard entry to partake in the continental event.

Wele is one of the team’s rising stars having won gold in the East African School Games in 2019 and the University Games in Kibabi in 2021. She also took part in 2019 All-African Games in Morocco and indeed the recent ITTF-Africa regional championship in Djibouti.

"It is always a great pleasure representing my country in a continental event. It is an incredibly rewarding achievement, whether you have competed for the national team or if this is your first call-up.

I had an opportunity to represent Kenya at the All Africa Games and I feel confident going into the Kasarani competition. The essence, for now, is to focus on these last few weeks as we count down to the competition week at Kasarani,” Wele said.

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Kinyua, the East Africa High School Games silver medalist in 2019, is Kenya team’s newest protégé who will be banking on her illustrious offensive skills against the crème de la crème of the continent.

The men’s team is equally experienced and resilient. Mutua, who made his Kenya team debut at the Beau Bassin Sports Complex in Mauritius during the 2017 Eastern African Regional Championships, returns to the men’s team for the umpteenth time alongside IT expert Josiah Wandera and Peter Theuri whilst Bonface Musyoki joins the squad on a wildcard entry.

Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) President Andrew Mudibo confirmed that the Team Events’ national squad will be announced in due course.

“This will be the second time in five years that we will be hosting a continental event. In 2018, we hosted the Africa Cup, which was the World Cup qualifiers for the continent, and the championship was voted the best-organized event in the World by the International Table Tennis Federation,” Mudibo offered.

Top African players led by Egyptian star Omar Assar and Nigerian legend Aruna Quadri will be in Nairobi for the event.

In the Women’s category, the Egyptian duo of teenage sensation Hana Goda and the 2018 Ladies Winner Dina Meshref, will also grace the Nairobi extravaganza.

Men

1. Brian Mutua

2. Josiah Wandera

3. Peter Theuri

4. Bonface Musyoki (Wildcard entry)

Ladies

1. Lisa Wele

2. Bahati Rufina

3. Lydia Setey

4. Mary Kinuthia (Wildcard Entry)