NAIROBI, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan table tennis players Brian Mutua and Sejal Thakkar have vowed to turn their failure in the ITTF Continental Cup in Nairobi by winning medals at the Commonwealth Games.
The two players had hoped to ride on the home ground advantage, but faltered in their first attempt to bow out of the three-day competition, which also doubles up as the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) qualifier.
Thakkar lost to Katia Kessaci from Algeria in straight sets of 11-7, 11-4 and 11-3 while 19-year-old Mutua lost to 10th seeded Derek Nyoh Ofon from Cameroon 12-14, 13-15, 11-9 and 11-9.
However, the two are taking the beating as part of their learning, saying their focus was on being at the peak form ahead of the Commonwealth Games, which start on April 4-15 in Gold Coast, Australia.
"I feel bad that I could not gain qualification to quarterfinals because the other top players deserved to win. I mean they are among the top 16 ranked in Africa, their standards are high. However, on the positive side is that I know where I need to improve, polish my skills and focus on the Commonwealth Games next month," Sejal said on Friday in Nairobi.
For Mutua, who was making his debut for Kenya, it was all a learning experience and he is relieved to have shade off the stage fright and will be ready to wrest for the medals in Gold Coast.
"Just as I expected, it was going to be tough. I learnt a lot of things which I will apply in my next assignment. My spirit will not die as we go for the ranking. The top players are very good at attacking and that is something we need to work on as Kenyans," he added.
Track and field have remained Kenya's top medal discipline at the international championships, with boxing, Paralympics and swimming working hard to join in to widen the medal scope. But table tennis players may be trying to punch beyond their weight in Australia. Enditem
