Arili selected as a reserve for SA Schools team

The Lowveld was represented by Yusuf Asvat, Arili Boshoff, Lize Oosthuizen, Natasha Wales and Nolizwi Mlangeni.

The team had a tough draw, and competed against the number-one seeded Gauteng North, Eden (George, Knysna), North West (twice), Eastern Cape and Gauteng East.

The competition was fierce, and in the tie against Gauteng East the team earned the winning point in the second-last match, with the number-one mixed doubles pairing winning to take the overall win by 24-23.

The team eventually ended 13th overall, winning three of the six ties.

Arili, the number-one ranked girl, was selected as a reserve for the South African Schools team to tour America in August.

The u/15s were in the same group as Gauteng North, Northern Cape and Western Cape Cavaliers. After ending fourth in their group, they played against Zimbabwe in the first round of the 9-16 play-offs.

After losing to Zimbabwe, they beat Limpopo convincingly to earn an opportunity to play for 13th or 14th position. On Monday they played their final match against Northern Cape hoping for revenge, but after playing many close matches, the under 15s team ended 14th.

The u/19s started the tournament strong, winning their day-one matches against Zimbabwe and Eastern Cape Elephants. On day two they lost to a strong Free State team, thereby finishing second in their group, giving them the chance to play for positions one to eight. After losses to Gauteng North and Western Cape Cavaliers in the play-offs, they were pitted against Gauten Central B for seven and eight.

This final match of theirs brought out the absolute best in these young players, and it was neck and neck all the way. In the end it all came down to the mixed-doubles match, where Japie Lubbe and Lize van Biljon, both from Hoërskool Nelspruit, clinched a very tense match. This seventh position is the best that Mpumalanga has ever done at an interprovincial tournament.

Local players who represented Mpumalanga
U/13
Yusuf Asvat
Arili Boshoff
Lize Oosthuizen
Natasha Wales
Nolizwi Mlangeni

U/15
Ruben Grundling
Ruben le Roux

U/19
Japie Lubbe
Muhammad Arabi
Lize van Biljon
Juwayria Asvat
Michelle Boshoff.