Miu Hirano creates history winning the Asian Championships 2017!

[Tony's Table Tennis]

OK, here's how it works.

When you see a Japanese player at the PT practice hall, he/she got there by one of these way:

1) National team/Junior national team
Funded by JTTA. Need to be in the squad to be eligible.
Eg. Mizutani, Niwa, Ito.

2) Elite Academy
This is the big one. Funded by JOC. It was formed with the new National Training Center which takes juniors from TT as well as other sports (Fencing, Wrestling etc) and train them with state of art facilities and coaches until 18. It's been hit & miss for TT and it's only recently that they started to develop top players.
Eg. Harimoto, Hirano, Hamamoto.

3) Schools/Corporates
They have been the biggest development force in Japan for a long time. Only a few years ago, majority of mens NT are from same high school(Mizutani, Niwa, Matsudaira, Yoshida). They too have a set budget so that the students can gain international experience as well as earn ranking points. Corporate teams usualy sign a contract with players which allow them to participate in several tournaments par year.
Eg.Ueda, Morizono.

4)Individual sponsorships

Technicaly there are 2 subtypes that fall under this category. One is a professional player who earns a living by playing abroad and hires his own crew but only Mizutani does that. The other one was started by none other than Ai Fukuhara. She was attracting nation's attention since she was 4 as a TT prodigy and turned pro by the age of 10. Since then, she formed Team Fukuhara and was copied by other top women (Ishikawa, Ito, Hirano).

Of course some of them overlaps(Ishikawa was under 1/3/4 until 18) and that's why you see huge number of junior players as some are funded by JNT and some by Elite Academy. JTTA has stated that the selection criteria for WC and olympic is world rankings so that's why they tried to particpate in as many PTs as possible.

So, is the 13 selective juniors for 2020 Tokyo part of number 2, or is it separate?
The number I heard was in the US millions per player for the 8 year period
I hear it was from JOC in preparation for Gold at Tokyo.

 

[ttmonster]

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I think this just shows how successful LGL is.
What he says is true for anything industry/thing in life.

CNT was too complacent and "snoozing" when comes to new technique.
This is a very big wake up call.

So just like anything else, you can be the best in your business, but if you never improve, never continue learning, then one day you will fall behind the rest of the world. And for most in history - they didn't even realize that.

 

[ttpshot]

So, is the 13 selective juniors for 2020 Tokyo part of number 2, or is it separate?
The number I heard was in the US millions per player for the 8 year period
I hear it was from JOC in preparation for Gold at Tokyo.

That would be under number 2, they are state funded so to speak. "Normal" JNT members are funded by JTTA which is funded by JTTA subs and sponsors. Your figure would be about right although the exact amount per head is not disclosed. As I said, many Elite Academy players are also a member of JNT hence the confusion even within JTTA.

Initialy selected players in Elite Academy did not yield the results they were hoping for so now the selection criteria and the numbers have been revised to only take top juniors.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

That would be under number 2, they are state funded so to speak. "Normal" JNT members are funded by JTTA which is funded by JTTA subs and sponsors. Your figure would be about right although the exact amount per head is not disclosed. As I said, many Elite Academy players are also a member of JNT hence the confusion even within JTTA.

Initialy selected players in Elite Academy did not yield the results they were hoping for so now the selection criteria and the numbers have been revised to only take top juniors.

Great
I personally don't follow JNT too much, but after being very close to Chiang-Ai's circle in Feb 2017
I get to learn more about how JNT operates

What I find the best is that the players can decide how to spend the money.

In most countries, the organization will decide for you, this leads to corruption, favoritism and possibly other problems.

In Japan's case, they can choose how to spend the money and the amount is near unlimited.
Not even in CNT is it a 6 staff to 1 player support structure.
CNT would be the closes ever to JNT in terms of this ratio

 

[Persistence TT]

Another tactical thingy I noticed in hirano's play is that she almost never pushes short. 9/10 times is long push varying the spin and go straight to the rally,simple yet so effective who needs short game when you are so damn good in the rally. Besides Im guessing due to her height she is in disadvantage compared to taller players @ in out movement short fh to long bh definitely needs an extra reach and bigger steps, especially when the opponent can redirect her and force her to another type of play

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Another tactical thingy I noticed in hirano's play is that she almost never pushes short. 9/10 times is long push varying the spin and go straight to the rally,simple yet so effective who needs short game when you are so damn good in the rally. Besides Im guessing due to her height she is in disadvantage compared to taller players @ in out movement short fh to long bh definitely needs an extra reach and bigger steps, especially when the opponent can redirect her and force her to another type of play

Your first part about Miu starting the attack is correct.
This is actually common strategy - push the ball deep and ready for counter top spin.
There was no fear in the execution too.

One can say, since Miu never won before, then give it 100% and start the attack.
If you wait for the stronger player to start the attack, you will loose
So risk it and try your best. You fail, it is expected.
No pressure, and the rest was history

Regarding her height, I never really believe short is a problem
Deng Yaping is short
Wang Nan isn't tall
LSW is also short

Shorter players will just need to play closer towards the table, and for women's game, that is just fine

 

[Persistence TT]

Your first part about Miu starting the attack is correct.
This is actually common strategy - push the ball deep and ready for counter top spin.
There was no fear in the execution too.

One can say, since Miu never won before, then give it 100% and start the attack.
If you wait for the stronger player to start the attack, you will loose
So risk it and try your best. You fail, it is expected.
No pressure, and the rest was history

Regarding her height, I never really believe short is a problem
Deng Yaping is short
Wang Nan isn't tall
LSW is also short

Shorter players will just need to play closer towards the table, and for women's game, that is just fine

Yeah my bad, I guess its the rally ability anyway. Why complicate things and give opponent opportunity to push/flick pressurize you first when you can play at home soil

 

[yogi_bear]

I love her sudden change of ball placement. it caight a lot of opponents off guard.

 

[ttpshot]

Great
I personally don't follow JNT too much, but after being very close to Chiang-Ai's circle in Feb 2017
I get to learn more about how JNT operates

What I find the best is that the players can decide how to spend the money.

In most countries, the organization will decide for you, this leads to corruption, favoritism and possibly other problems.

In Japan's case, they can choose how to spend the money and the amount is near unlimited.
Not even in CNT is it a 6 staff to 1 player support structure.
CNT would be the closes ever to JNT in terms of this ratio

The biggest difference between CNT and JNT would be the quality of the coaches and practice partners.
At the Korea open JNT sent 17 staff and 20 players(+14 staff and 19 players who are not in JNT/EA), they are very capable players but nowhere near as skillful as CNT coaches.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

it all starts here

 

[ttmonster]

She must be so embarassed of this video now , its so funny and cute she keeps crying after losing ever point !

it all starts here

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Its Mima always crying, Hirano is the more positive kid. She put that last smash in the net, but she rarely does that nowadays...

 

[tropical]

They were so adorable!

 

[ttmonster]

You are right ! I was so wrong , should have seen the resemblance right away !

Its Mima always crying, Hirano is the more positive kid. She put that last smash in the net, but she rarely does that nowadays...

 

[Ot Ot]

photo taking please say cheeze!

 

[Sali]

it all starts here

Completely stupid how those guys behaving and showing their merciless to the children. Small kid is crying and big guy is having fun - sad!

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

this is from a TV program yesterday. Have a special look at around 7mns to see a young Miu playing against Ai-chan !!! It explains a lot of things

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

The biggest difference between CNT and JNT would be the quality of the coaches and practice partners.
At the Korea open JNT sent 17 staff and 20 players(+14 staff and 19 players who are not in JNT/EA), they are very capable players but nowhere near as skillful as CNT coaches.

I don't agree with you here.
Since what, like 15 years ago? or more, you have ex Chinese pros going to Japan to be practice partners and coaches.
The result have already produced how many Top 10 players in the world??

Some of the result is even better than CNT A team coaches,
So how does one determine the quality of the coach? is it the result of the individual player??

I would say today's Japan with its coaches and practice partners are much stronger than 10 years ago.
Maybe the overall domestic structure inside Japan is still weaker than Chinese, but Japan has money to buy in coaches and practice partners, that is enough to start strength the super power house of China

Lets talk of Miu current coach.
If he stayed in China, he would never made it to CNT
But he developed a World Cup champion, Asian Champ and what is more important for me is - new technique.
This new technique is something that KLH is slightly behind with....

This is why now CNT is going 1 to 1 ratio on the womens team. To give more focus on its star players

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

this is from a TV program yesterday. Have a special look at around 7mns to see a young Miu playing against Ai-chan !!! It explains a lot of things

Obviously only able to read the few chinese words, I can't really understand this video
But from what I see, as a kid growing up, it is so important you have "kid heros"
Ai's success as a kid/cadet must have directly and indirectly pave the path for other kids to follow

Dream is one task I as a coach that is very difficult to set for kids.
I guess in Japan, it will be easier than most other countries.