Theo Cogill | SA Number 1 Table Tennis player and the Ultimate Comeback Kid
Theo Cogill, South Africa's top player, and a member of the Boundary Table Tennis Club, is the archetypal comeback kid.
Less than a month ago Cogill annexed the South African Men’s Singles title in five gruelling sets, coming back from 2 -1 down to win 3-2 against former champion Kurt Lingeveldt. But then Cogill is no stranger to comebacks, considering that he’s had to overcome severe injury, including semi-paralysis as the result of a traumatic stabbing incident ten years ago.
A once promising youngster, Cogill almost had his career cut short by a life-threatening stab wound that nearly robbed him of his life and left him paralysed on the right side of his body a day before his 24 birthday.
At the time, he says, he had intervened in a fight outside a popular entertainment venue when he ended up being the victim and rushed to the emergency room with a nasty stab wound to his neck.
For years, he had little interest in playing table tennis. Cogill had to first learn to walk by taking tiny steps at a time. Even a wheelchair-bound good man can't be kept down, and he ultimately made his way back to table tennis, much to the joy of his trainers, clubmates, and even his adversaries.
Due to his competitive mentality, Cogill was motivated to stand out among players with disabilities, which he did. He was first a little hesitant, but by 2013, he was thinking about giving Para table tennis a shot.
Not only did Cogill annex the SA Men’s Para title, but through sheer determination and enormous talent, he has now lifted the South African Men’s crown of able-bodied persons as well. What a player.
