The World Hopes Team at! Otocec/Slovenia, 21 October 03 November 2013 Report by Zita PIDL Consultant ITTF World Hopes Team Manager Page 1
PREPARATION CAMP For the first time since the debut of the World Hopes Team at the World Cadet Challenge (2011) we had the opportunity to organize preparation camp prior to the ITTF All-Teams training camp. Due to logistical reasons we did not choose an ITTF Hot Spot center this time, but asked the Slovenian TTA to co-operate. Together with the North American, the African and the Slovenian teams we used the nice facilities of the WCC venue for the preparation days too. Our teams played sessions with all other teams, both boys and girls. After 3 long days of practice we spent the morning of 24. Oct. in the adventure (adrenalin) park near by where everybody could try different exercises in the woods. On that day s afternoon the team travelled to Ljubljana. TESTING AT THE UNIVERSITY We took the opportunity to visit the University of Ljubljana for sports testing led by Mr. Miran KONDRIC, ITTF Sport Science & Medical Committee Chairman. Morphological status has been measured first followed by tensiometric measurements, simple and complex visual reaction times testing, eye tracking (following the trail where a person is Page 2
looking) and isometric strength testing on the trunk. Each player got the printed results of the testing in Otocec. THE TEAM After long discussion having done by the ITTF Education & Training Program representatives at the end of the summer, the World Hopes Team competed at the ITTF World Cadet Challenge 2013 in composition as follows: Boys (from left to right): Dominic HUANG (AUS) Cristian PLETEA (ROU) Yanapong PANAGITGUN (THA) Victor LIU (USA) Girls (from left to right): Christina KALLBERG (SWE) Bruna TAKAHASHI (BRA) Valeria CUBA (PER) Eman TAHA (EGY) Page 3
COACHES Beside the Program s Head Coach Dejan, who is always great and gives his maximum during such activities, Mrs. Zsuzsa OLAH from Hungary was working with us as girls coach for two full weeks. She is two times European Champion and some 14 times Hungarian Champion too and played over 100 times in the Hungarian national team. As coach she worked for 10 years in Germany and until this summer for 8 years as Hungarian cadet national team coach. She looked as a prefect choice and she proved to be. Her enthusiasm, her love for table tennis for over 40 years can be really set as an example. The two coaches were working alongside the Hopes Program Manager Zita PIDL. HOTEL Hotel Sport in Krka was our home for two weeks. The staff of the hotel had big role to make our stay a pleasant one, there was no request they would not have fulfilled. It is really difficult to say what was the best part. Was it the location beautiful environment, just few meters from the playing hall? Or was it the quality and the quantity of the food always big choice of tasty dishes? Or was it the always clean, well-equipped room? Well, sure all together! Page 4
PLAYING VENUE The Tennis center of Krka is well known for table tennis events too as there were several ETTU training camps organized in the past decade part of the Eurokids, Eurokids Plus and Eurotalents projects. This time also proper table tennis flooring and better lighting for the competition days were secured. Ideal home for future Hopes events too. TOURNAMENT The WCC 2013 has been organized in a professional way as always. Our players reached the result according to their actual TT knowledge. The 3rd place of our girls team was not to be expected, this was a pleasant surprise. All results to be found here: http://www.ittf.com/competitions/ competitions2.asp?competition_i D=2251&category=WJCF Page 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT On behalf of the ITTF I express my sincere thanks to: BUTTERFLY and in particular Sebastian RANGS for already 5 full years of support and co-operation The Slovenian Table Tennis Association in particular Mrs Sajda SLATINSEK for the co-operation The Centre of Krka for hosting our group Miran KONDRIC for irganizing the testing at Ljubljana University The ITTF Hopes Programme Head Coach Dejan PAPIC and WCC girls coach Zsuzsa OLAH for the planning and execution of the effective training program tournament. Ian MARSHALL and Matt POUND for the nice articles on the ITTF website Thomas BUZA for his contribution in web designing All ITTF officials and officers for their support All National Associations of participating players for their care and financial contribution AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, EGYPT, PERU, ROMANIA, SWEDEN, THAILAND and USA All parents and supporters for their general contribution and financial support in particular Haripon PANAGITGUN for providing us with professional photos during the entire stay in Slovenia Mari de GRAAF and Rosa RODRIGUEZ for supporting our team during the whole tournament All players for their motivation, fighting- spirit and hard work during our stay in Otocec/Slovenia Keep going guys! J Zita PIDL th Budapest, 8 November 2013 ITTF Consultant Page 6
(All photos by Haripon Panagitgun and Zita Pidl) Page 7