OYDC TEQBALL PLAYER DESCRIBES TUNISIA OUTING ‘’TOUGH’’

Teqball player from OYDC Teqball club Natasha Nanyangwe has described the recent participation at the 2023 African Beach Games in Tunisia as tough.

Nanyangwe who is among other two teqball players from the OYDC Teqball Club who were called to the national team to represent Zambia at the prestigious 2nd edition of the beach games says she and others tried their level best to secure a medal but could not. She says despite Zambia being the first time to participate in the teqball beach games players learnt skills that they will put to good use for future competitions.

‘’The games were very tough. We were expecting to come back with medals, which we didn’t do.  We never expected the games to be easy because it was the first time we participated in the teqball beach games and it was also the first time the national team went out for such a competition. We will surely work hard in future because we now have the experience and the skill to compete at such high level games’’ she said.

And team coach Catherine Ndashe says the three players competed in the singles, mixed doubles and doubles stating that in the singles and mixed doubles, the players were out in the quarter-finals while in the doubles the players came out in the first group.

She says now that the team is back home focus will be more on training and preparations for upcoming games.

‘’Our outing in Tunisia made us gain more exposure and we have seen how best we can improve and ensure that medals are brought back home during future games’ Ndashe disclosed.

The team came back home on Wednesday evening and were welcomed at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport by OYDC Zambia Chief Executive Officer Dr Fredrick Chitangala who congratulated them for their participation and call to the national team. Dr Chitangala urged the players not to despair by not coming back with any medals but encouraged them to continue with more training adding that OYDC Zambia facilities are available for their use.

Teqball is a ball sport that is played on a curved table, combining elements of sepak takraw and table tennis. Back and forth, the players hit a football with any part of the body except arms and hands. Teqball can be played between two players as a singles game, or between four players as a doubles game. Teqball was launched in Zambia in 2020 and several clubs dotted across the country were opened among them the OYDC Teqball Club which has players who participate in the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge at the Centre.