Berner: Mutua ‘rough diamond’: Three-month training stint in the pipeline for the JKUAT student

ITTF AFRICA CUP Kenya's Brian Mutua during the International Table Tennis Federation Africa Cup at Kasarani Gymnasium, March 1, 2018. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

 

Swedish coach showers praise on Kenya’s table tennis rising star.

Kenya’s rising table tennis star Brian Mutua is an ‘unpolished diamond’, according to Swedish coach Jan Berner.

The Kenyan youngster put up impressive performances at the ITTF Continental Top 16 Cup that ended on Saturday in Nairobi, although in the end he was placed 14th.

“He needs now to change his game plan and technique in order to become a world beater,” Berner said of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology student. 

“First we have sent him to a centre in Europe where he can learn and get more exposed to the game at a professional level.

“I have already started speaking to some clubs in France and Sweden to see if we can achieve this first goal. Then get his plane ticket and accommodation,” said Berner. 

The Kenya Table Tennis Association president, Andrew Mudibo, concurred with Berner’s assessment, adding that KTTA would do everything possible to enable Mutua to realise his dream.

“Mutua has a bright future. He needs exposure and that is why we are organising a three-month training abroad. We will design a programme that takes into consideration his studies,” Mudibo said.

Mutua is in the Team Kenya contingent to the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia, where Berner says he will pick up more experience.

Egyptians Assa Omar and Meshref Dina won the men and women categories after bruising encounters at the Kasarani indoor arena, Nairobi.

For their successes, Assar is bound for the Liebherr 2018 Men’s World Cup to be staged later this year in Paris while for Dina Meshref, it is a journey to the Chinese city of Chengdu in late September for the Women’s World Cup.

Omar beat defending champion Aruna Quadri of Nigeria 4-3 (12-10, 11-8, 3-11, 13-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8) while Dina beat Sarah Hanffou of Cameroon 4-1 (11-2, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8) on the final day of the three-day tournament.

Mudibo thanked the Government for facilitating the event, which he said has put Kenya on a higher pedestal.

“We got positive reviews from around the world because the event was streamed globally. The Government’s financial commitment was key for we were able to stage a hitch-free tournament.

“The volunteers were awesome and TV production was at par with international standards,” Mudibo said, adding that part of the equipment used at the tournament would be donated to the Kenya Sports Academy. Some of it will be reserved for national events while the equipment we had will be distributed to Nyanza, Mombasa, and Nyeri,” he said.