{"id":44088,"date":"2024-11-07T10:40:59","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T08:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/a-rising-star-in-para-table-tennis-20241105\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T10:33:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T08:33:51","slug":"a-rising-star-in-para-table-tennis-20241105","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/a-rising-star-in-para-table-tennis-20241105\/","title":{"rendered":"A rising star in para table tennis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ikhwezi Lokusa Special School hosted a sports awards ceremony last week to honour learners excelling in the school\u2019s sports programmes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among those celebrated was Lisakhanya Rotwana, the current Eastern Cape Sportswoman of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fifteen-year-old Rotwana, a Para Table Tennis player, has won numerous gold medals for the school. In 2023 alone, she has already secured six gold medals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of her significant achievements was in October 2023, when she represented South Africa at the BRICS Championships held in Durban. Competing against top players from countries like China and Brazil, Rotwana clinched the gold medal for South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lisakhanya\u2019s head coach, Thandile Nakano, expressed that these awards would motivate the players to continue participating in sports programmes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cToday is Lisakhanya\u2019s awards ceremony, along with other players from the school. She competes in Table Tennis Para 2 to 5, meaning they play while seated in a wheelchair. She is being honoured because of her consistent gold medal wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Images\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_1515e6f9\">\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/12373\/46617e1874bf4453afe6a7683fb19dfe.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/8ac50c7f72f74bbabf19801c196eadbf.jpg\" title=\"Lisakhanya Rotwana who is the BRICKS Games gold medalist and Bokamoso Ntone who received a silver medal at Bricks Games 2023.                \"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Lisakhanya Rotwana who is the BRICKS Games gold medalist and Bokamoso Ntone who received a silver medal at Bricks Games 2023.                <\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\">Photo: Hoseya Jubase<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn October 2023, she represented South Africa in the BRICS games and won the gold medal, defeating players from China, Brazil, and other major countries. We also went to Cape Town for the National Championships, where she won another gold medal. In December, we competed in the school sports games. This year alone, she has won six gold medals,\u201d said Nakano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On 19 and 20 July 2024, Lisakhanya was awarded the Best Sportswoman of the Year, while Khwezi Lokusa Special School was nominated as the Best School of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lisakhanya, who started playing Table Tennis in 2022, expressed her excitement at being honoured by her school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am very excited and happy about this ceremony. It is the first time the school has done something like this for me. I really appreciate it and don\u2019t have enough words to express how grateful I am. My journey as a table tennis player has not been easy, but I am grateful for the gold medals I have won so far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She added,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Blockquote\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_59766838\">\n<div class=\"text\">Competing against big countries like China and Brazil last year was challenging, but I won those games. I want to represent disabled people on the world stage because some people think that disabled individuals cannot achieve anything.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ikhwezi Lokusa Special School hosted a sports awards ceremony last week to honour learners excelling in the school\u2019s sports 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