The ITTF GJP Blog

Under the guidance of coaches Jarek Kolodziejczyk and Dana Weber and team manager Polona Cehovin Susin, Team Europe is well known to be the bench mark when it comes to team spirit and unity at the International Cadet Challenge. They achieve consistently outstanding results and their strong team bonding no doubt plays a major part in their success.

However, on the morning of Saturday 24 October two of Team Europe’s cadet girls found themselves at opposite ends of the table. Fourteen year old Bernadette Szocs of Romania had to face off against Yana Noskova, the fifteen year old Russian in the knock-out stage of the cadet girls singles event. Three days earlier they had been consoling each other after a gut-wrenching loss in the cadet team’s final against Team Asia, this morning they would have given anything to defeat each other.

This match had added importance given that the victorious player would still have a chance to secure one of the elusive four qualification places on offer for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. For the loser, they would be left to find another qualification path at a later date.

In a thrilling match that was full of long topspin and counter hitting rallies, the two youngsters proved to be evenly matched all the way. After an epic six games duel, it was Bernadette Szocs who emerged victorious. The petite right hander always plays with passion and enthusiasm, and this was typified by her vocal cries after winning each point.

The vocal Bernadette Szocs en route to victory over Team Europe colleague Yana Noskova

For Yana Noskova, she must have been bitterly disappointed with the outcome, as a golden opportunity had been missed. However, she did not let it show as she shook hands showing good sportsmanship. Surely this comes from the respect that Team Europe have for one another.

Less than two hours after their match had finished, it was back to being team mates again. Yana Noskova and Bernadette Szocs are also partners in the girl’s doubles event at the International Cadet Challenge, and they put their skills together to defeat the Pan American duo of Cristal Meneses from Chile and Maria Soto from Peru by three games to one. When it comes to the medal rounds, surely they will be in the mix.

Bernadette Szocs and Yana Noskova, team mates once again in the Cadet Girl's Doubles Event

Bernadette Szocs and Yana Noskova had gone from team mates, to opponents, and then back to team mates again over 3 different events. This is surely one of the beauties of table tennis and in particular the International Cadet Challenge. It also underlines the strong team spirit of Team Europe and the maturity of the young ladies concerned.

By Scott Houston, Oceania Development Officer and Team Oceania Manager

The possibility of gaining the first qualification places for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore is a major drawcard for the 2009 International Cadet Challenge. Those with the best technical, tactical, psychological and physical ability will rise to the top and justifiably steal the limelight in just a few days time.

However, the International Cadet Challenge is about much more than simply the results achieved on the table. Creating new friendships and rekindling old friendships, being able to visit another country and gaining new life experiences are all part of the complete package.

For one competitor in particular the experience of a lifetime is being carried out here in Tokyo, that player is Jamaneter George from Team Oceania. The young right hander is from the tiny island of Mangaia, which is the southernmost island of the Cook Islands situated in the South Pacific.

Mangaia has a population of just 1100 people and is very isolated, to the south the Pacific Ocean stretches thousands of empty kilometres to the South Pole, to the far east are the Austral Islands and Pitcairn, the Kingdom of Tonga is a world away to the west; only the north holds Mangaia’s Cook Islands neighbours. Mangaia also holds the distinction of being the oldest island in the Pacific, dating back some 18 million years.

For Jamaneter George, having the opportunity to come to Tokyo will surely create memories that will last forever. To experience the change in culture from the slow paced and care free culture of tiny Mangaia to the hustle and bustle of nearly 13 million people in Tokyo must surely be mind boggling. The shy young man, who has slowly been coming out of his shell since Team Oceania has been together, has been able to add something in his own unique way to the team.

In round one of the boy’s team event of competition Team Oceania was drawn to play against Team Asia, the number one seeds, where Jamaneter George had to face Lu Po-Hsien from Chinese-Taipei. Although he could not match it with his technical sound, more experienced and well grounded opponent, by simply having the chance to compete on the international arena was an achievement in itself.

The dream of competing at the Youth Olympic Games might seem to be a touch out of reach for the Cook Islands youngster, but the life experienced gained over this journey is something he will grow from as a person. He will certainly be able to return to Mangaia with a very different view of the world. This underlines that the International Cadet Challenge is about more than just table tennis.

By Scott Houston, Oceania Development Officer and Team Oceania Manager.

Jamaneter George enjoying a life experience in Japan

Education of coaches will become a priority for the ITTF

Plenty of interesting discussions taking place in Helsingborg. The new ITTF structure is slowly finding its form with Glenn Tepper responsible for Development and Judith Farago from Hungary taking care of the ITTF Competition department. My challenge will be to define suitable areas to get involved in from an Education and Training department perspective. Several projects, today connected to what we know as the ITTF Global Junior Programme ,  will remain in my work portfolio .  Athletes development using partners and funding from the Olympic Movment will continue to move forward. We have a good relation with the IOC / Olympic Solidarity and our sport is , i believe , very well suited for the Youth Olympic Games coming up in the year 2010.

Coaching Education is an area that will become a priority for the ITTF. We just have to define responsibilities and develop proper strategies in order to provide the highest standard possible. Already,  there are several elements of  basic level coaching education taken care of by the ITTF Development program  . At the same time my new department should push for more opportunties for  high level coaches to recieve and access knowledge on a regual basis.

One of the more exciting projects moving quite fast for the moment is the ITTF HOPES idea. We are not very far away from launcing a number of events in 2009 carrying the label ITTF HOPES. The athletes have to be born on or after 1 January 1997 (in 2009) – which is very young.  Main objectives  are to connect with young talented players and more important their coaches. We belive that ITTF involvment in general will help us to build a solid educational platform for talents and coaches from all over the world. Possible start is the Safir International in Sweden late February and the series of events for 2009 will probably include the Euro Minichamps competition in France.

A scene of the past? Alisha Van Rooyen of South Africa gluing. 

“As of 1 January 2008 for ITTF Junior events (U-18), and as of 1 September 2008 for all other ITTF events, the ITTF will implement a new racket testing programme and protocol, using the Enez* and RAE** instruments to ensure that all rackets used by players are free of volatile compounds except water”

http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story.asp?Year=&General_Catigory=&ID=12807&Category=General&Competition_ID=&

To the juniors:

• Have you tried playing with the new glues? What has been your experiences?
• Have you played with the new “hi-tension” rubbers? What has been your experience?
• Have you tried the oil optimizers? What has been your experience?

FASTER-SLOWER-MORE SPIN-LESS SPIN-EASE OF USE-AVAILABILITY

The floor is yours…….

Assar [at an earlier competition] “agonizingly close”.

Talented lefthander, Andy Perriera pulled off the first big upset of the World Junior Circuit finals, this morning defeating European Junior Champion Mikhail Paykov of Russia.

This afternoon it was “back to earth with a thud” as Africa’s future hope Omar Assar of Egypt, bounded to a 3-1 lead, with Perreira playing a much more passive game.

Fortunately the “Jazzman” Perriera awoke at the right time, clawing his way back with his trademark fist pumping and screams of encouragement in a fluctuating last 2 games.

With the scores at 2-3 for Assar, Perreira with rising confidence and increased activity raced to an 8-0 and 9-1 lead, before again falling to more passive play, eventually winning 11-8.

In the final game, Assar led 10-8, but failed to convert, while Perreira performed a “houdini” coming back from 1-3 and 8-10 in the final game, to keep his record intact.

To play at 3-1 and at match ball, the same way you play at 0-0 is the challenge for Assar.

For the “Jazzman”, to play in the same way and with the same levels of energy and intensity when playing someone he is expected to beat as he does when playing a higher ranked player with “nothing to lose” is his challenge.

All is a learning experience, and a loss is only a loss if you learn nothing from it……