OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Sounds like we have the same source. I too heard (and interviewed) from people who thought they could make a difference only to find that its all politics. Sad, really. Very sad.

Quite interesting when you drill down to which sport in Australia is popular, then you understand what appeals and why.

I believe that on a global scale, Table Tennis is the third most popular sport in the world. I’m not sure how TT rates in Australia, but I am guessing that golf and lawn bowls probably rate higher.

Look at how Tennis is marketed; there are big glamorous international tournaments. As a result, I’m sure the younger aspiring player will get motivated to play.

My background is English; therefore I grew up with a love of snooker and Soccer but mainly snooker. In UK, they air major snooker events and many young people play despite this not being a school sport. Young players usually get into the game by keen parents.

Promotion of the game needs to be tackled at a high level, not just club level. It’s sad when you think that Table Tennis is a Olympic sport and has a high profile in many countries, but I guess Australia has there own national sport and that passion gets passed down from generation to generation.

I’m not complaining I wouldn’t want too many more members at my club; I hate waiting for a table.

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It's an interesting problem to contemplate on. Yes in Australia, TT is not very popular. As a sport that is, though just driving through the suburbs you'll notice that many homes have a table either folded up or some kids having fun playing it. So, I guess unless the profile is lifted and TT taken seriously as a sport, it will remain a garage game.

Let's just take soccer and basketball. Two decades ago, these sports are not in the popularity list. Today, Australia now has professional, full time players in both sports. I guess in soccer and basketball, you can easily have sponsors and money flowing in.

But one thing is for sure, they were able to establish clubs and form league competitions easily.

I think Local Clubs.

A new club has began near me (Casey table tennis club). The guy in charge is looking to setup table tennis interschool comp for surrounding schools in area that participate against one another.

This will hopefully promote kids into the club, where I heard many clubs struggle with which I find a little lacklustre and poor in a loose opinion.

Dandenong are independant club. They are huge but have NOTHING on during the days. It is like dead! There are so many schools in the area that have interschool comps with one another. Surely tt can fixture/slot in during the days in an independant club like that. They could pack out each and everyday with interschool comps. There junior night is full on Friday night but they could pack out there Saturdays between tournaments there with a healthy rep junior club league established. They could use Sundays for tryouts for rep, much like basketball and prob other sports too. Or rep team training too.

I so agree that it would be great if a national league could be set up and promoted. I also agree that states should have there leagues too. Vic is trying a super league out this year again (07) after many years ago since they scratched it. There needs to be promotions of these leagues or else it will flop again.

I think state tt bodies should organise leagues for juniors that are fixtured inbetween tournaments. That is really needed for juniors. Clubs will pack out there joints on Saturdays around the tournaments if they did this.

National league and state superleagues would really need good promotion. Even moreso a national league. Looks like alot of work for table tennis the more I think about it...

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In the early 90's was a big boom time for basketball in Australia. That was time when the NBA poured millions into promoting the game internationally. And it helped too that Australia stood up to the US like no other team and finished 4th in one of those Olympics too.

Same goes for Soccer. Soccer going through boom time now coming off the world cup. Huge promotions behind world cup. And European leagues pouring resources into the game here too.

It would be nice if ITTF could promote the pro tours and pro world game here too. I don't know the situation with that but it is just downright amazing that many people don't know the "finer" game of table tennis in western countries.With digital TV set to kick in and the vast improvements in the technological world, you'd think table tennis could slot in somewhere and somehow *shrugs*...

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Cuts hard, but not short and not down. I'm a cut above that, and not a cut out. I cut back, and am fully cut UP! I am cutting sensational.

IMHO, if someone or if the national or state bodies organise a super league and it didn't succeed, they should not give up. The first, second and maybe third leagues might be difficult, but I believe it will payoff in the end.



I guess that is why there's no motivation to do it on a national level. Also, the prize money would be insignificant when you count the cost of travel and accommodation for participants.


Another note that I may add (just stir the pot a bit more), we seem to have a lot of accredited Level 1 & 2 coaches which means that we already have a good start.

I mean promotions as in maybe a televised segment on TV.

Last week (Saturday) they had on free to air TV (On prime time ABC Channel 2) the Australian national indoor lawn bowls on. It went for at least an hour maybe 2. But they have a segment each and every week on the channel!!!!

Table Tennis has the potential to whoop indoor lawn bowls. You wouldn't believe what's on other free to air tv like channel SBS (which looks quite allright on my new digital reciever of free to air TV )

Some of the segmented shows are pretty poor amateur stuff but get a gig (and a good one of that) on a weekly basis.

Every state in Oz can put a weekly segment on TT for there own state superleague on there own free to air SBS channel. This is the promotion I was on about. And then slot in the national gig as a premier event like indoor lawn bowls did with there national tournament which featured Malaysians (much like Aussie TT having Singapore play in the nationals).

Big promotion, big work. State Superleague is good by itself. It would be absolutely awesome with promotions behind it as I mentioned (telecasting gig on free to air tv) which I think is very possible opportunity.

Hopefully the Superleague that is beginning in Vic becomes a permanent feature and a better one of that, and one day it goes to free to air...somehow *shrugs* .

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Cuts hard, but not short and not down. I'm a cut above that, and not a cut out. I cut back, and am fully cut UP! I am cutting sensational.

Speedplay, I am surprised table tennis doesn't get much a gig in Sweden. I thought it would have been a weekly thing on it over there at the least. That is quite shocking to me if the case.

Sweden home of the great Jan Ove Waldner and the likes. Wouldn't have thought tt is that poor over there. I thought it would have been pumped up good there *shrugs*...

Well, if you get updated scores of a league, then that is better than nothing I guess. WOuld have thought they'd have a tv segment on tt in Sweden and that league. DO they have segment with highlights maybe of any kind? Anything put together that promotes/exposes the game other than just scores/results?

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Cuts hard, but not short and not down. I'm a cut above that, and not a cut out. I cut back, and am fully cut UP! I am cutting sensational.

Sweden has taken more interest in ice hockey.
(I got lots of Swedish friends)

Anyway, Singapore started a league competition ...

http://www.stta.org.sg

Something we could learn from down under.

That is a brilliant setup!

I don't think it is fully up and running but it is a great layout. That would be awesome if Oz can do something like that for sure..

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Cuts hard, but not short and not down. I'm a cut above that, and not a cut out. I cut back, and am fully cut UP! I am cutting sensational.

Tjena speedplay,

unfortunately here in Oz there isn't much of a table tennis league. our professional players have to go and play in Europe to make a living. they'd starve to death here. there isn't really scope to become a pro TT here. You'd be better off playing cricket (maybe a bad idea, considering the way Australia is going at the moment ).

IMHO, media coverage in Australia wouldn't be much of a problem. Aussies love their sport. However, if there isn't any TT league, what's there to cover?

(I hope someone from TTA is reading this thread)

Saw this great thread a little late...

The Germans are like watching the WM TT tean Championship tourney like maniacs - full TV coverage. You'd expect that from then, as good as they are. I saw some of it on ARD or ZDF through a sattelite when I was in Iraq - only a two hour time difference..

I have ranted (Ask Speedplay, he will confirm that I can rant) long and hard about why TT has always been and looks to always be unpopular in USA.

The short version is that our government need to make it mandatory for each school to have a team at the Uni and High School levels. This will force schools to take TT serious and fund it. We can fly in 25,000 Koreans, Germans and Chinese through a massive parashute jump to get the coaches in place. The rest will take care of itself.

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