Zodwa Maphanga's Blog
September 2008
After a very busy summer I am now back into training which is going well and I am focusing completely on the South African Senior Championship and the Commonwealth Youth games. As far as school is concerned I am really happy with the marks I got in my June exams apart from my English mark which was unsatisfactory. Other than that I am really pleased with how the year is going so far and really appreciate all the support and equipment I receive every month.
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June 2008
This month I went to Congo Brazzaville where I attended the African U21 Cup and came 2nd in the doubles, 2nd in mixed doubles and 13th in the singles for the whole of Africa. I was really pleased with my overall placing, especially with my result in the singles category. As a team we finished 1st which was a really great feeling and it was brilliant being part of such a successful team. I also competed at the South African Junior Championships where we came 1st in the team event and also achieved 1st in the doubles. It was a great tournament and one of my highlights from 2008.
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April 2008
Last month I competed in Egypt where my team came 5th at the Youth Championships. It was a challenging event, which we thought it would be as there were some really strong players. We were still pleased with our performances and can take away learning’s from the event which will help us progress further. As far as competing goes now I have a break until June when I will play at the African U21 Cup, both in the doubles and singles event, in Congo Brazzaville. I also have exams coming up in June which I am working towards but hopefully they should all go well.
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February 2008
This month I attended the World Championships in China which was an amazing experience. I was really pleased with my performance and feel like I played to the best of my ability. As a team we played well coming second overall and were therefore promoted from 4th division to 3rd division, which was a massive achievement for us! The next challenge for me is the Youth Championships in Egypt. Since returning from China I am focusing on my skill and technique leading up to the Youth champs which will be a tough competition. School is going well at the moment and I am working hard, balancing both training and studying. I will be in touch when I’m back from Egypt!
