Local student-athlete brings CUCSA success to Mahikeng
Thamia Kganedi, an honours student in Human Movement Science at NWU Mahikeng, has taken a pathway from a school playground to the international university stage after captaining the South African team to team gold at the 2026 CUCSA (Confederation of University and College Sports Associations) Games in Botswana. She also won a silver medal in the women’s doubles, achievements that NWU Mahikeng described as evidence of the university’s growing sporting profile.
Kganedi’s rise began in 2014 when, as a Grade 6 learner at Bopanang Primary School in Monsterlus, Limpopo, she first tried table tennis. Confined to indoor sports because of a skin condition, she found in the sport both a refuge and an ambition. Her progress through provincial school representation and later into higher education sport has been steady, NWU Mahikeng reported.
- CUCSA 2026: team gold (women’s team)
- CUCSA 2026: silver (women’s doubles)
- Academic pursuit: Honours in Human Movement Science at NWU Mahikeng
NWU Mahikeng credited coaches and the university’s sport office with supporting Kganedi’s development. The player herself praised her coach, Kealeboga Mojafi, and the university sport officer, Naledi Molanoka, for helping her reach these milestones.
"I was raised to believe in God's timing. The CUCSA Games were just out of this world. It surpassed my expectations. Wearing South African colours in another country as an athlete was the best thing," Kganedi said, according to NWU Mahikeng.
From rural beginnings to the international university stage
Kganedi grew up in Monsterlus, in the Sekhukhune District of Limpopo. She completed her NSC at A.M. Mashego Secondary School in 2020 and attained a Bachelor’s pass in July 2021. Her first national exposure came as a member of the Limpopo Schools Table Tennis squad that competed at the national championships in 2014. That early selection, the university noted, was a defining moment for her family.
Her journey is shaped by personal loss and resilience. NWU Mahikeng’s account says the grandmother’s pride after that first national competition strengthened Kganedi’s commitment to the sport following the early death of her mother. The university highlighted how table tennis provided a positive channel and contributed to her mental toughness.
Support structures and what this means for NWU Mahikeng
NWU Mahikeng’s recognition of Kganedi reflects a broader emphasis on nurturing student-athletes who balance academic work and high-performance sport. The university said she has benefited financially for her performances and has developed confidence and mental resilience through competitive play.
| Event | Medal |
|---|---|
| CUCSA Games 2026 — Team | Gold |
| CUCSA Games 2026 — Women’s Doubles | Silver |
The university also pointed to the role of technical teams and teammates in enabling the experience to be enjoyable and successful. Kganedi’s interests outside table tennis include watching rugby, tennis and YouTube vlogs — details the university included in its profile to illustrate the student behind the athlete.
For Mahikeng and the North West, Kganedi’s achievement is a reminder that local campuses can produce athletes who compete and lead on regional and international stages. Her path signals the value of campus sports programmes, coaching and administrative support in transforming school-level talent into university and national representation.
As NWU Mahikeng continues to build its sporting structures, the university’s success cases such as Kganedi will be central to convincing students and local communities that sustained investment in sport can deliver both personal development and institutional pride.
