Moses Mpabwa, 23, is a table tennis player who will be one of only three players representing Uganda at this year’s Commonwealth games slated for April this year in Gold Coast, Australia.
Why is that of all games you chose to play table tennis despite it not being common?
It was fate. I studied from Nakasero Primary School which was by then the national center of the game (table tennis). However, my uncle who used to play for the national team introduced me to game and I started playing in Primary 2. A year later in my Primary 3, I won the junior champion and since that day I have never looked back.
How is your training programme like?
I train on a daily basis at Demellos in Nakasero and sometimes from Kololo SS. We train from such places because the National Sports Centre has no room for table tennis at the MTN Arena. We only get a chance to play indoors during major tournaments.
Football, rugby, basketball among others all have national leagues. How is it like for table tennis?
Yes we now have a national league that has recently been resurrected after a long time.
How do you earn money or do you only depend on prize money?
Hahaha….At the moment, I basically depend on prize money from major tournaments especially those I play outside the country.
Do you have sponsors and do they help you?
No I don’t have a sponsor and it is my biggest challenge in this career. This has made me miss out on several championships due to lack of travel funds. Towards the end of last year, I was invited to Cape Town in one of my dream events but I failed because I didn’t secure an air ticket to South Africa. So I call upon corporate companies or individuals to come out and give a helping hand and save my career because I am ready to work and achieve as much as I can.
Besides that what are some of the other challenges in the sport?
This being an uncommon game in the country, we face a series of challenges including; a lack of a permanent training ground, lack of training equipment like good tables and blades, absence of professional coaches, few tournaments, little or no prize money…
Is the federation responsible for table tennis helping you in anyway?
The federation has no funds to support us players. It only helps in authorising our travels abroad in case of invites.
What do you think should be done to improve and commercialise the sport?
Firstly, the federation must set up a permanent base for the game. This will help to scout and nurture talent and hence develop and widen the game. Various sponsors should also come on board to help develop the game.
Finally, what are your plans for the future?
Despite all those challenges, I am far from giving up from the game because I want to see table tennis become one of the biggest games in the country.