The ITTF GJP Blog

The European Table Tennis Union has been looking at what can be done to bridge the gap with Asia, with multiple brain-storming sessions, and a team of the most respected European coaches setting a plan for 2012, 2016 and 2020.

But hold on, the European Cadet Boy’s Team has just won the ITTF Cadet Challenge Team event 3-0 against Asia, defending the title they also won against Asia last year.

The semi finals for the Cadet Boy’s singles have now been finalised-3 Europeans and a Latino.

The semi finals for the Junior Circuit finals includes 2 europeans, an african and an asian.

Looks pretty healthy……on the surface at least.

If we dig a little deeper, we notice one small fact….China is not here!

There was also some questionable team selection and player positioning in the cadet teams final that played into the European hands.

But let’s enjoy the moment anyway….

• Simon Gauzy of France-perhaps the best talent to come out of Europe for many years
• Marcelo Aguirre of Paraguay-Latin America’s first individual semi-finalist and a finer wrist you would be hard placed to find
• Home team Sweden represented with Hampus Soderland, the hard working swede who leaves no doubt that his heart and soul is left on the table at the end of the match
• An African with a real chance in Egypt’s Omar Assar, and some real improvement coming courtesy of 5 weeks with Peter Karlsson in Sweden

I will certainly be checking out the action from 10.30am tomorrow morning!!

Kane Townsend-experiencing the highs and lows of international table tennis.

There is many players here in Helsingborg on a rollercoaster ride that makes the stockmarket look smooth.

The higher the stakes the more chance of upsets, and extreme highs and lows.

Take talented young left hander Kane Townsend of Team Oceania.

A nice wrist, and some great qualities, but his reality is that a large majority of his training is with his brother, Wade[who will be on duty with the Australian Junior Team at ther World Junior Champioships in Madrid in December] in a small club on the Australian Coast.

Kane rode his personal rollercoaster to the very top by causing the biggest upset of the tournament so far, beating the player many experts regard as the best talent to come out of Europe in many years, Simon Gauzy of France in the first match of the group.

His rollercoaster then headed downhill at breakneck speed as he succumbed meekly to Adem Hmem of Tunisia 3-0 in the next round.

Another on the “ride” is Norway’s Ma Wenting.

Last year’s Junior Circuit Final runnerup.

Far and away the top points earner and favorite this year, only to crash 1-4 at the first hurdle to Japanese player Misaki Morizono.

Match 2 and 3 she began the slow climb back up the steep slopes of the rollercoaster with victories but will there be another downhill crash or will this be a steady climb to the highest step of the podium?

Coaches prepare the players technically.

Sports scientists prepare the physical and peaking plans.

Sports Psychologists give players the tools to handle the pressures of World Title events.

But still there is upsets and massive rollercoster rides.

Why does one player look great in practise and perform poorly in matches while another looks ordinary in training but performs well in matches?

HeadCoach at the training camp, Dejan Papic, mentioned to me during the camp that he thought Marcelo Aguirre was over-rated. Once the tournament started he quickly changed his mind watching him take all before him includng 2 matches against Europe and 2 against Japan. Till now he remains under-defeated.

But beware one of the great causes of the rollercoaster-expectation.

Kane Townsend had none going into the Gauzy match and won.

Suddenly his expectation was raised and crashed to the Tunisiam Hmem.

Ma Wenting had it coming into the tournament and fell at the first hurdle, but has now re-assesed and is moving forward in good form.

So, let’s see what happens today as we move into the knockout phases of the tournament…..