Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) nurtured young talents by hosting the first series of ‘National Tennis Table’ competition, providing full facilities at the Udinus Sports Center. The event attracted the participation of 126 athletes from 15 different clubs.
The event gathered hundreds of athletes from various regions across Indonesia such as Semarang, Kudus, Jakarta, Bali, and Lampung. It consisted of 5 categories including men’s U-13, women’s U-13, men’s and women’s U-15, and men’s U-19 category. The competition was held on Friday, August 25th, 2023.
Dr. Kusni Ingsih, M.M., Vice-Chancellor III for Student Affairs, delivered a speech and symbolically inaugurated the event. She stated that the event became an opportunity to find the next talented athletes in national and international competitions. Hence, Udinus would always give full support toward any sports event.
“Discount vouchers are also given to the winners of the first series of the national table tennis league who wish to continue their study at Udinus. We will always appreciate young talented athletes at national and international level,” said Dr. Kusni
Currently, Udinus also has several tennis table athletes who bring Indonesia to the International competition. These players are undergraduate students of management at Udinus, namely Siti Aminah, Cindy Marcella, Hafidh Nuur, and Affan Mauludana.
Frengki Setyo Prabowo as the representative of the league committee, explained that the national table tennis is in its second season. During the last season, it was only participated by athletes from central java province, but now there are athletes from six different provinces. The ranking system involves each club competing against one another, with points being accumulated towards the grand finale. The table tennis league is divided into three sessions to determine the true champions.
“We appreciate Udinus for providing the necessary facilities. We believe that this league will have a positive impact on the development of young athletes in smaller regions and provinces. Our next mission is to create more exciting competitions and emerging athletes who may potentially uphold our nation,” said Frengki.
The grand champion title was taken by Sukun Kudus Club for successfully securing 5 gold medals, followed by Kantung Bali Club with 2 silver medals and Hebat Semarang Club for winning 1 silver medal and 2 bronze medals.
One of the athletes from the Sukun Kudus Club, Malika Nafisya Maksum said that she was very happy. She also got the chance to learn from other athletes during the league. She was also proud to represent Sukun Kudus and took home a gold medal for the women’s U-13 category.
“I hope that I can perform better in the future, I will also participate in other competitions. All in all, the facilities were very well prepared,” stated Malika. (Udinus Public Relation/Harris. Photo: Udinus PR)