Table tennis team readies for nationals

GEORGE SPORT - The Eden Table Tennis Federation is sending a strong team of 35 players to represent the region at the 2025 South African National Table Tennis Championship in Durban from 3 to 12 October.

Founded in 2015, the Eden Table Tennis Federation has established five clubs across Knysna, George, Mossel Bay, Riversdale and Oudtshoorn.

With support from the Eden Sports Council and the South African Table Tennis Board, the region has made its intentions known in national table tennis.

Eden made its national debut at the championship in Klerksdorp in 2017, returning with gold and silver medals. Since then, local players have continued to perform well. Among them is Xhaiden Williams, ranked second in South Africa, who represented the country at the African Open in Tunisia. In 2024, he received the best male player award for outstanding sportsmanship.

Also standing out are the doubles pair of Whinleigh Bruinders and Hailey Theron, ranked third nationally, who claimed bronze medals in both doubles and team events.
Andrea Mouton represented the Western Cape Schools Team at the SA School Nationals in Johannesburg, earning bronze in doubles.

In addition, five Eden players have been selected for the Western Cape High Performance Academy, where they train with top provincial coaches.

Xhaiden Williams

Championship dreams

The 2025 national championship will see Eden's biggest team yet, including players as young as 11 and seniors competing in both men's and women's divisions.

To help these players reach Durban, the federation is appealing for sponsorship.
Costs total about R6 000 per player, covering meals, accommodation, transport and tournament fees. The goal is to ease financial pressure on families while supporting the players' dreams.

A sport changing lives
Beyond competition, table tennis is making a meaningful difference in Eden communities. "The sport has helped me in my life, staying positive, taking me off the streets and keeping me from doing drugs," said one local player.

The federation actively promotes the sport in schools and under-resourced areas to provide a safe, structured environment for youth. "Awareness in the sport is on the increase under the young generation," said the Eden Table Tennis Federation' chairperson, Garshen Williams. "We urge people in Eden to get in contact with us. We are building a winning nation and table tennis is the platform."

Contact details:
• Garshen Williams: garshenw@gmail.com
• Hayley Theron (secretary): eden.tabletennis@gmail.com

The 2024 Eden table tennis team