Interview: Alikhan Kazia
Alikhan Kazia is VMX’s new Club Manager, and he is also a Kenya national archer and table tennis player. As well as playing competitively, he enjoys producing elaborate table tennis trick shots. Over the years, his @PongMastersKE Instagram page has amassed a huge following. Alikhan is also a three-time Guinness World Record holder, for the most ping pong balls bounced into a cup in one minute, most table tennis serves into a cup in one minute, and fastest time to bounce a ball into five cups. He now teaches others his ping pong skills as a coach.
We sat down with Alikhan to learn more about his incredible sporting achievements.
FLEX: How long have you been playing table tennis?
Alikhan: I started playing at the age of 10 when I made my first international debut, and have been playing for the last 13 years.
How far and wide have you travelled to play table tennis?
I have trained in China, France and Germany. I have also represented Kenya internationally, and have been the national champion multiple times at junior and senior level.
That’s amazing. What about archery?
I only recently got into archery after retiring from table tennis. My goal is to qualify for the Olympics, which is a mammoth task because not many people make it.
What’s your plan for qualifying for the Olympics?
In archery there is only one distance shot in the Olympics, which is 70 metres. For me to qualify, I have to hit 640 points out of a possible 720, which is an incredibly high mark. But with training and dedication, I believe I can make it. The club I shoot for is the Federation of Target Archery Kenya (FTAK), who have been very supportive.
What about the trick shots – how did that all start?
Someone noticed me trying to recreate trick shots online. He’s now one of my closest friends, and he’s the reason I’ve got the following I have today.
How many followers do you have, and how do you come up with the trick shots?
We both give our input into how we want to execute a specific trick. Through trial and error, we first see if a trick is possible, and then immediately start recording. We currently have over 30,000 followers, and millions of views across various platforms.
That’s incredible. Which platforms have you been featured on, and how long do the tricks take to master?
We have been recognised on ESPN, Sky Sports, BBC Sport, 9Gag, Daily Mail UK and Australia, Sport Bible, among many others. In terms of the time it takes to master the trick shots, it really depends on the shot. Some can take hours, and even days, while others we complete in minutes.
Three Guinness World Records is impressive. How did that happen?
The head of creative content at Guinness World Records emailed me and asked if I wanted to attempt some records. They had seen my trick shots when I was featured on BBC Sport. I had to take that opportunity and make it happen. I set a few records and have been trying to break them again ever since.
How is a record verified?
A lot goes into it. Luckily, we didn’t need an adjudicator to verify the attempt, just a lot of evidence, including witness statements, photographic evidence and slow motion footage. Thankfully, all my records were verified, and I hope to break more in the future.