by Olalekan Okusan, ITTF-Africa Press Officer

Kizito Oba, who has commenced preparations for Budapest, is excited about the prospect of playing in the Hungarian capital city but he is realistic, modest with regards to his ambitions in the tournament.

“I have been training regularly to try to make a good impression at this great sporting event. However, I cannot explain my specific target. Nevertheless I can say that I am on top of the world competing against some of the best players in the world in Hungary.” Kizita Oba

Ambitious and positive, Kizita Oba is well aware that the level of play in Budapest will be of the highest possible level.

“Given the level of competition and the number of the top players in the world heading to the tournament, I am hoping to advance from the group. I am hoping to get good results that will help my ranking and also to have the chance to play on the centre court.” Kizito Oba

High level but equally he has a motivating factor; Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Omar Assar have underlined the fact they can compete against the best in the world.

“It is difficult for African players to make it to the podium at the World Championship because for years Africans have not been in the top 10 worldwide; that means that there is less chance of getting there. Also, the dominance of the Asians at the moment is a big challenge for us in Africa but there may be surprises in Hungary this year. I hope and believe I can make an impression in the tournament, particularly with the hope of improving my ranking for major competitions in Africa.” Kizito Oba

Positive, measuring himself against others and making progress is the goal for Kizita Oba; on the men’s world rankings for February, Kizito Oba is named at no.353.