Her primary responsibility was to ensure fair play and strict adherence to the rules. She officiated until the semi-final, where she oversaw the men’s game between Nigeria and Tunisia.
Sebele, who turns 31 in June, tells MmegiSport that she has been involved in table tennis since her junior secondary school days. “I started in (almost) all sporting codes until I got to table tennis and I fell in love with it. I was good at it. I was one of the top players in our region back then, scooping medals at the BISA national championships,” she said. She stated that her philosophy when officiating is to remain neutral and fair at all times.
“As an umpire, it is not my job to favour one player over the other, but rather to ensure that the rules are being followed and that both players have a fair chance to succeed. When handling difficult or controversial situations, I strive to remain calm and objective while taking into account the opinions of both players and adhering to the rules of the game,” she said.
The Mochudi-born Mahalapye native said the highlight of her career was officiating at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Championships held in Durban, South Africa, in May 2023. She also attended her first tournament beyond the borders of Africa, in Qatar, Doha, in 2023. She finds her job exciting because she travels extensively and gains experience from international tournaments. “The biggest challenge of this profession is that most tournaments are held in other parts of Africa and outside the continent, which is expensive for me to travel, and I struggle to secure funding to travel,” she said.
Sebele explained that to qualify as an umpire, one should have an interest, undergo different level courses, pass, and continue attending tournaments for experience. She is a white badge umpire, with the next level being a blue badge followed by a gold badge. “When I received an invitation to officiate at the African Games, it was an honour for me. The Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) and Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) gave me the privilege to do what I love the most. It was my first time in Ghana, and I enjoyed every moment of it,” she said. Sebele stated that she does not have a favourite venue, adding that it is always good to officiate in different venues as they all have special moments and memories. “I will not say I have a role model; I have good umpires that I met, associated with, and learnt from. The list is endless,” the official from Mahalapye's Flowertown added.
FACT FILE:
Full names: Ritah Thato Sebele
Date of birth: June 10, 1993
Place of birth: Mochudi
Home village: Mahalapye
Profession: Table Tennis umpire
Level: White badge
Hobbies: Traveling, table tennis, and reading
Training: ITTF level one umpire certificate 2012, ITTF level two umpire certificate 2012, and ITTF level three international umpire 2014.
Specialised training: ITTF Competitions Management 2022 Major assignments: Africa Youth Games 2014, Africa Region 5 Table Tennis Games—Lesotho 2019, ITTF Africa Championships—Cameroon 2021, Phoenix Assurance Botswana Super League 2022, ITTF African Youth Games, Clash of the Titans Tournament—March 2022, BTTA-Botswana Open International Championships 2022, World Table Tennis (WTT), Contender—Lagos 2023, WTT Contender—Doha 2023, WTT Youth Contender—Doha 2023, WTT Youth Contender—Turkey 2024, and WTT Youth Contender—Doha 2024.
