OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Fifteen Years On, Development Continues, New Ground Continually Broken


Taking the first steps Photo By: Courtesy of Kaka Lawson

12/27/2013
Initiated in 1999, the award winning ITTF Development Programme now regularly conducts some 100 courses per year and provides equipment assistance to approximately 30 countries per year.

The ITTF Education and Training Programme, initiated in 2009 has also made a major contribution to worldwide development in a short period and works hand in hand with the ITTF Development Programme.

It services “With the Future in Mind” and “Road to Nanjing Junior Scholarships” as well as other successful initiatives.

New Innovations
Recently introduced have been ITTF Education online learning; the ITTF Hopes Programme and ITTF Hot Spots.

Membership Growth
In 1999, when the ITTF Development Programme began, one of the aims was to have table tennis played in every country of the world.

ITTF membership was 180 at that time; today ITTF membership stands at 218, more than the International Olympic Committee (IOC), more than Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and second only to volleyball in the number of member associations. Furthermore, we are closing fast, with two new members already applying for 2014.

There is now only five countries with National Olympic Committees that are not ITTF members and we have them very firmly in our sights for 2014-2016.

Highlights of the Year
..........Every person who led a Development and Education Programme Course in 2013 produced a highlight; each with their own great story (talk to any course conductor and you will no doubt hear a fascinating story).
.......... “Peace through Ping Pong-Ping Pong Paix” Project won Sport Accord’s “Spirit of Sport” Awards
.......... ITTF Education & Training Online Learning Platform was launched with many Coaching, the Hopes and Umpires and Referees projects activated.
..........ITTF/PTT Level One and ITTF Advanced Coaching Manuals were converted to emanuals and are now available on Itunes and Amazon.
..........ITTF Development and Education Magazine 2009-2012 was released both in hard copy and online versions
..........Three new short films were released; one based on United Nations Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) projects and two based on Papua New Guinea following the pathways of a player and coach respectively
..........The first ITTF Dream Building fundraising dinner was held at the Liehberr World Championships; US$80,000 was raised for new projects (Palestine and Uganda), Junior Programmes (Hopes and Road to Nanjing Camp and Hopes Ambassador) and Para Table Tennis (Africa Para Table Tennis Camp and Player Scholarships).
..........United Nations UNOSDP Camps continue to include table tennis as a core sport


The year started in January with a Hopes Training Camp in Peru conducted by Aleksey Yefremov

Team Effort
The success of the ITTF Development and Education Programme is very much a team effort. Deepest thanks to those that contributed to the success including:

ITTF President
ITTF President, Adham Sharara for his vision, leadership, and support

ITTF Executive Committee
The ITTF Executive Committee for their support and advice, and especially the Executive Vice President responsible for Development, Melecio Rivera, and Education, Shi Zhihao

ITTF Continental Vice Presidents
Khaled El Salhy (Africa), Cai Zhenhua (Asia), Stefano Bosi and Ronald Kramer (Europe), Osvaldo Borges (Latin America), Mike Cavanaugh and Bruce Burton (North America), Patrick Gillmann (Oceania) for their close co-operation and leadership.

Development and Education Staff
One could not ask for more passionate and hard -working staff than:
..........Leandro Olvech, ITTF Director-Development
..........Polona Cehovin Susin, ITTF Director Education & Training
..........Mikael Anderson, ITTF Senior Consultant-Development and Education
..........Zita Pidl and Dejan Papic, ITTF Consultants
..........Continental Development Officers: Afshin Badiee (Asia), Lilamani de Soysa (Europe), Ramon Ortega Montes (Latin America), Dejan Papic(North America) and Michael Brown (Oceania) for their untiring efforts in implementing the Continental Development Plans.


Michael Brown visited the Pacific island of Tahiti in April to lead an ITTF Development Course
Photo courtesy of Michael Brown

The Course Conductors
A total of 69 ITTF Coaches and Course Conductors who conducted 93 ITTF Development and Education Programme or Olympic Solidarity Courses in 2013
To those that conducted courses, we salute you in this important work!
alphabetical order

Evelio Alvarez (CUB), Mikael Andersson (SWE), Rafael Armendariz (ECU), Mohamed Atoum (JOR), Afshin Badiee (IRI), Mohammed Bassyoni (EGY), Branka Batinic (CRO), Claude Bergeret (FRA), Katja Brand (SUI), Michael Brown (AUS), Thierry Cabrera (BEL), Raul Calin (ESP), Chan Foong Keong (MAS), Christina Chee (MAS), Junya Chen (CAN), Sylvain Chermette (FRA), Emanuel Christiansson (SWE), Guillermo Coydan (CHI), Dave Delpratt (AUS), Ahmed Dawlatly (EGY), Bladimir Diaz (PUR), Youngjun Duan (CAN), Carlos Esnard (ESA), Joe Fischer (CAN), Silvia Garro (CRC), Mohamed Gharib (EGY), Theodor Gheorghe (USA), Nicolas Guigon (FRA), Tokannata Ioatene (KIR), Peter Karlsson (SWE), Steen Kyst Hansen (DEN), Arif Khan (PAK), Pablo Koatz (ARG), Petr Korbel (CZE), Jens Lang (GER), Kaka Lawson (TOG), Miran Kondric (SLO), Istvan Korpa (GER), Christian Lilleroos (USA), Ilia Lupulesku (SRB), John Macpherson (CAN), Audrey Mattenet (FRA), Richard McAfee (USA), Miao Miao (AUS), Philippe Molodzoff (FRA), Ronald Mugwanya (UGA), Marco Nuñez (CHI), Leandro Olvech (ARG), Ramon Ortega (ESP), Dejan Papic (CAN), Zita Pidl (HUN), David Powell (AUS), Richard Prause (GER), Youssef Rabie (EGY), Patrick Ringel (FRA), Albert Rooijmans (NED), Francisco Seijas (VEN), Georg Silberschmidt (SUI), Maxime Surprenant (CAN), Polona Cehovin Susin (SLO), Karima Tellaa (ALG), Glenn Tepper (AUS), Jose Urrutia (CHI), Lincon Yasuda (BRA), Aleksey Yefremov (BLR), Lily Yip (USA).


The month of August saw Richard McAfee conduct an ITTF Level Two Course in Atlanta


The Manufacturers and Supporters
..........Butterfly and Stag for their kind and unwavering support of the ITTF Development Programme since day one back in 1999.
..........Nittaku, Xiom and Tibhar for funding special projects in 2013.
..........The German Table Tennis Federation for their ongoing equipment support since 2006 providing equipmet for both “Ping Pong Paix” Peace and Sport Project in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo and ITTF Development Programme in 2013.
..........Foundation for Global Sports Development for their ongoing support of the ITTF Development Program since 2009
..........Olympic Solidarity and in particular Pere Miro, and Coaches Department: Yassine Yousfi, Carina Dragomir, and Cynthia Anami and Athletes Department-Silvia Ragazzo Lucciarini, Olivier Niamkey and Edward Kensington for their close co-operation and support.

ITTF Staff
ITTF staff members who worked closely and tirelessly with the ITTF Development and Education Programme: Judit Farago, Steve Dainton, Raul Calin, Matt Pound, Ian Marshall, Mo El-Shentenawy, Mohamed El-Dawlatly, Alison Burchell, Habiba Besic, Etsuko Enami and Kimberley Koh.

All of you have made a big contribution to the development and education of table tennis worldwide! Thank you!


In December Kaka Lawson led a course in Botswana with a heavy emphasis on Para Table Tennis
Photo courtesy of Kaka Lawson

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Oh Whew!!! The first picture had me worried a bit. I was thinking that was an indication of what to expect for the next ITTF ball size increase.

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Jay Turberville
http://www.jayandwanda.com
Hardbat: Nittaku Resist & Dr. Evil

ROFL... yep I had the same thought... they didn't put too much thought into that one, did they?

Regarding the article, I'm once again surprised their apparent obsession to have the highest number of countries in their membership. I really don't see how this is any indication of the popularity of our sport... so why keep comparing it to that of other sports? Is that the only way they can be #1 at something?

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Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
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As with so many things, the ITTF gets the cart before the horse here. Their first goal should be to make TT a "big money" sport. That, IMO, should mean looking for how to get exponential growth in Europe and the U.S because these are the two huge markets where it is performing poorly. The sport will expand inot other countries rather naturally if you can get big money into the sport. Look at how rapidly China is embracing so many "western" sports.

Similarly, in the U.S. I see regular references to how table tennis is the most popular racket sport in the world or how there's 20 Million players in the U.S. All such boasts seem to accomplish in my eyes is to shine a light on what an utter failure the USATT and the ITTF have been at promoting the sport. If there are 20 Million players in the U.S., why is it that the USATT has only 8,000 or so members? That's a mere 0.04% of the players?!?! 0.04%???? That's a pretty serious failure. If TT is the most popular racket sport in the world, why is it that we see almost none of it on any major sports network outside of China? Sports news shows in the U.S. don't even report on the World Championships. Why is it that the prize money of the highest paying TT tournament doesn't even equal the bonus money (beyond the standard prize money) paid to the Women at the U.S. Open tennis tournament?

To the extent that these boasts are true, they strongly suggest major failures of the respective organizations over the past 60 years or so.

Blah blah blah... I know. Old news. Rant over. But yes, the ITTF seems to have the wrong focus ... again.

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Jay Turberville
http://www.jayandwanda.com
Hardbat: Nittaku Resist & Dr. Evil

Excellent points wturber!

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide