It is the third time Shane Overmeyer has competed in the prestigious tournament; he qualifies as the Southern Africa Regional champion.

“In my last outing in the competition I finished 14th; what always impresses me is the organisation of tournaments in Africa now. Things are looking more professional now and I still believe we can still do better. I am glad that ITTF is showing more interest to improve the level in Africa from an administration point of view.

The standard of play in Africa has improved a lot over the years because you can see it in the current world rankings with Quadri Aruna ranked 18 and Omar Assar also rated within the top 50 in the world. 15 years ago this was not possible.

My target as regional champion is to end in the top six and with this I will be satisfied.

For me personally I want to play at the highest level as long as my body and health allow it. I just love playing table tennis and I will continue to push myself.” Shane Overmeyer