Wotanabeera eyes rebound after tough FISU Games debut

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Uganda’s Iryn Teddy Wotanabeera is looking to bounce back against Azerbaijan’s Khadija Abilzade on Monday after losing 3-0 to Singapore’s Tan Zhao Yun in her first qualifying match at the FISU World University Games table tennis event, held at Messe Essen Hall 1 on Saturday.

Wotanabeera, Uganda’s sole representative in the sport, expressed her frustration over the lack of a training partner since arriving in Germany on Tuesday. She has only been able to practice briefly with players from other countries, who have limited availability outside their own training schedules.

Due to this lack of practice, she struggled against Yun, who won decisively with a score of 33-6 over three sets (11-4, 11-1, 11-1). Wotanabeera managed to win just four points on her serve while conceding 15, as she found it difficult to settle into the match.

“I’m really excited to represent my country on this world stage, and I felt I had to do my best. However, the challenge I faced was travelling alone, while others arrived in teams to train and warm up together. I had to repeatedly ask them for a chance to get some practice time,” Wotanabeera explained.

“I haven’t had much personal training or time on the table since I arrived, which certainly affected my performance. I was also a bit scared and anxious before the match, especially as she had a better paddle.

“During the game, I rushed my decisions due to anxiety, and my limited training resulted in a poor touch on the ball. Essentially, I beat myself because I wanted to play aggressively without being patient,” she added.

“I need to train more before the Monday match and allow myself time during the game to avoid the rushed decisions I made today,” Wotanabeera concluded.