Durban — KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube addressed the official opening of the International Table Tennis Finals (ITTF) held at the Durban Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) on Saturday.
President of the ITTF, Petra Sorling and president of South African Table Tennis Board Yusuf Carrim watched the first ball being served.
Dube-Ncube said the City of Durban welcomed more than 600 athletes to the tournament which is now the epicentre of global attention, with 224 member associations affiliated to the ITTF.
“It does not get any better than that. South Africa is a country of champions. We may be ranked 93rd in the Table Tennis nations, but we are the champions in our own right,” said Dube-Ncube.
“Our winning started on 28 September 2020 when South Africa was awarded the right to host the finals. We became the second African country to host the tournament since Egypt 84 years ago,” said Dube-Ncube.
She said Durban is ready to serve authentic African hospitality to over 600 athletes who will be in action across the five events.
“Our undertaking as the province is clear during this Africa Month of May, it is to be the best host on Africa’s behalf. ICC will be the theatre of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championship Finals for the next eight days of scintillating table tennis.
“Our vast experience in hosting global events such as the launch of the African Union, FIFA World Cup preliminary draw and Finals, the Comrades Marathon will give you a sporting experience of a lifetime,” said Dube-Ncube.
She said the aim is not only to reposition KZN to become a smart province but to also equally transpose it to become the sporting Mecca of the world that will continue to attract more global events in future.
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