Update from Taipei 2014

Greetings all.

I've traveled quite a bit and witness different countries TT structure, and have TT friends around the world.
I reside in South Africa, and we are very far behind on TT from an overall prespective. I've started Tony's Table Tennis that focus on equipment sales, coaching academy and agency work, aiming to help uplift the overall table tennis platform in the future.

Besides the fun part of Taiwan, I spend some time with some reputable table tennis people - some players, some coaches, some adminitrators.
In Taiwan, the level of TT is climbing - just look at the (new) players in the grand finals - mens and womens double.

I have learnt a lot from this trip, and will hope that my new learnings can assist SA Table Tennis, to list some:

- School table tennis (top sport schools), Train Mon/Wed/Thurs 2pm to 9pm and Tues/Thurs/Sat 2pm to 7pm (they live at the school) - sponsored by corporates. These kids are easily 2500 USATT level, the 2600 to 2700 level makes the junior national team.
- corporates sponsor table tennis, not much from Gov - accept the basic community sport centres (which all sports has). Mostly financial sector companies sponsor TT - like Banks and Insurance companies
- Ex champions all started TT schools/training centres, most recent in Chuang Chih Yuan - Chih Yuan Ping Pong stadium
- Lots of clubs (in basements of builders or places with low ceiling), and great social media/internet platform to find "places to play"
- Most of school (normal schools - not sports school) have table tennis, from primary school upwards. Mostly have more than 10 tables.
- Groups of social players - over 3000 members, that conduct different "friendly" tourneys around the country - really fun - like a 10 man relay match, and first person to loose 3 points must be subbed, first team to run out of players loose (winner stays on etc). I visited one today, and these guys are like USATT 2000 up, one of them is around 2400 to 2500.
- Really clever IT people, taking USATT system and making it much better, so good that ITTF invited these guys to do a presentation at WTTC 2013 Paris.
Table Tennis isn't a big sport, but with the "limited" that is done and mostly "privately" done, no wonder many top Chinese Taipei players are appearing in the world rankings.

I think its interesting to share the "winning" formulas, and see if these exchange of information can help our local table tennis. Hence the reason of my sharing.


Now, Melbourne trip is coming up, any Melbourne forum members here?

vvk1, I agree.
Once thing I noticed in South Africa, many past greats are no longer invovled, or invovled on a social level.
IMO adminstration is not being invovled, at the same club is not being invovled.
Its about expanding and making the circle bigger etc.
CCY and Chiang Peng Lung for example, did not stay at they club, but rather made new schools, and with that, expanding the circle.

Dan,
A way is with the help of Gov, but giving TAX incentive and encouragement for corporate to take partnership with 2nd tier sports.
I must add, this is only the past 10 years or so, CCY in his prime for example (10 years ago), had no such blessings.

Another thing is medals, With CCY doing well in London 2012, and CCY and Chen Chien An getting Mens Double Gold in Paris, it starting a new era of hope and reason to invest more in the youth.
But I must add, given what little Taiwan has, the discipline level is really high.

Today I went to a normal primary school, training in the afternoon for 2 hours, later the venue is rented to social groups.
The kids serve mutiball to each other, not top level players for they age group, but discipline is 10 times more than my South African national team member students.

I think with the right table tennis culture/discipline + enivornement to train + coach, will get you places. Of course, maybe near half way, financial support is necessary.

BTW, in Taiwan, people need to qualify to get into certain high schools, some by academic achievements, some by sporting achievements.
It is great "honour" to graduate from some top high schools, so people work hard (or pressure by parents) to get into such schools.
How this work with sports is these top academic high schools, wants to have status in sports history, so they offer scholarships for athletes to come in, and will provide good environemnt etc. So indirectly there is an incentive for these TT players to work hard.


As the movie (tug of war) - Step back to glory - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=215343925295504
The senior girl said to the junior girl, with all these hardship/sacrifices, at least you will graduate from the best high school in Taiwan.

Also, in Taiwan, they are very good in fundraising and getting local sponsors.
People don't just talk ideas, they go out and make things happen.
In SA, I hear of many people providing dreams and ideas on this and that, but 10 years on, I still hear the same things.

If I was a corporate, I would put money with people who have these type of desires to achieve something. I won't put money with lazy, undisciplined people. So I think TT culture in many places needs a makeover, so we can attract the trust and investment from corporates.

I didn't achieve much in 12 months, but I was told I achievement more than an whole organisation in a few years in SA.
I can only imagine if 10s or 100s of people who are doing what I am doing or more, on what positive outcome can happen.
Just like what Larry Hodges commented in the USA - without the aid of USATT, in the space of 7 years some 50-60 full time centres has opened.
So you can DIY and achieve things yourself, and when you times 10, 50 or 100, the result is a 13 year old boy reaching USATT 2600, or top junior girl players in the world.