About Us	Search	Advertising

	Brought to you by:

THE top-spins and backhand returns of a Grassy Park teenager is proving difficult for his table tennis rivals to counter.

And, these well-practised strokes assured Darren Rodgers of his latest success when he won gold at the SA under-17 championship in East London during July school holiday. Rodgers, 15, beat a fellow WP player Kurt Langeveldt 3-0 in the winners' final. What made the win sweeter for Rodgers was the fact that Langeveldt was the top seed at the championship.

"This was the first major title that I have won in the under-17 division and I am feeling good about it. I battled to get my game right in this division last year.

"Success will will help me to plan better before I reach senior level," said Rodgers.

But being No 1 in a SA junior championship is nothing new for Rodgers, who was also crowned the SA under-14 champion in 2003 and 2004, after walking off with the WP titles in the same years.

Notably, Rodgers triumph at the nationals brought the gold medal tally to five for the Boundary TTC that is based in Bonteheuwel.

Rodgers joined the Boundary club this season, after initially hitting the success trail with his former club Liv-Ken in 2003.

Rodgers says that Keith Meyer, his teacher and coach at Fairview Primary School in Grassy Park, got his adrenaline pumping for the "ping-pong game".

Encouragement from his father, Wally, and the guidance of Greg Naik, his coach at the Boundary TTC, has also been of great help," says Rodgers.

His other successes include winning the Ussasa under-19 and under-15 titles in his brief table tennis career. The 2004 African Youth Championship in Ghana, the 2006 AYC in Algeria and representing the All-Africa side at the 2004 World Cadet Challenge in Portugal in March has broadened his international experience.

Rodgers, a learner at South Peninsula High in Diep River, admits that the travel bug has bit and that he is hopeful to go on more tours.

"Making the SA side for the 2007 World Youth Cup in SA is another big challenge for me," says Rodgers, who listens to music or tries his hand at art when he is not focusing on his favourite sport.

	Back to top
©