Donations from Cathay Life Women's Table Tennis team

[Tony's Table Tennis]

The coach told me to give them a big empty luggage as they doing some "spring cleaning" and would love to donate items to South Africa
It was too small.

This is what I got back. 1 x full luggage + 2 x full big sport bags
Probably 40~50 kgs combined.

The big luggage is 32" full of clothing. Probably over 100pcs easily

For the ones seeing the name Cathay Life women's table tennis for the first time.
Check this videos out.

This is video of 16 years old taking on Jia A league in China:

I still need to make 2 new videos - one is the full version of "A Day in the Lives of Cathay Table Tennis Team" and another video for the donations efforts.

If you come across Cathay Life players (green tree logo on the shirts) at international events, please wave your hand to them and make them feel welcomed.
They are really extraordinary people.
Before I got involved, they would donate clothing and shoes to charity that actually focus on Africa.

Now it is going to table tennis kids in Africa.
I do need a bit of help for the logistics though - so donations for logistics costs are welcome (I can only send around 20kgs this time via a friends airplane luggage).
I will investigate seafreight items, as the clothing are pretty heavy (and there is still more.... )

Thank you Cathay Life women's table tennis team. Thank you the to coaches and players.

PS. the rackets on the left bottom was bought by the kids raising money together. They said they want some of the kids to be using new rackets (even though most of the used rubbers are still very good and new and there are over a dozen new rubbers too)
Not in this photos is 1 new blade and 4 new rubbers for a special 15 year old player that got a bronze medal at the African Games. she comes from a really tough, poverty ridden background and after I received these bags, the "shoe size" for the girl didn't match with the 4 pairs I got, so another new pair of shoe (not in photo) was donated for her and now also in my possession.

I had watery eyes.

 

[Haraold]

Awesome Man!
Thx for all the people with big Hearts.
And shoutout for the kids,for raising awareness,altough they shouldn´t have to.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Awesome Man!
Thx for all the people with big Hearts.
And shoutout for the kids,for raising awareness,altough they shouldn´t have to.

Thank you (not sure how I missed your post, so apologies for not replying earlier).

yes, kids shouldn't be in such situation, but sadly, there are places where it is difficult to even expect a norm in a 1st world to be close to a norm in a 3rd world.
For example, I asked for the clothing measurements for one of the prodigies there. to measure with a measuring tape, or ruler (or anything) and to work out width and length of shirts/shorts. Well, they don't have measuring tape or ruler.... and it has been over 2 weeks. So, challenges are really different in some places.
The solution was for the coach to do it for the player, but the coach is unavailable due to surgery.

I have someone flying over to SA in 2 weeks and have offered to bring some over, so I have a 23kg luggage sorted.
However, there is still around 20+ kgs of goods left (maybe more if more people continues to donate - it has triggered butterfly effects where individual parents are contacting me to send over their kids blades and really newish used rubbers and shoes etc)

So the logistical part has become a bit of a headache for me.
I have also approached coaches in other countries in Africa to see if I can send via post office to them to help lower the logistical cost headache, and it seems like, most of the African countries post office is bound to "lose your parcel"

I have already asked some people in South Africa to help contribute to the UPS/FEDEX costs.
A while ago, one TTD forum member contributed to the logistical cause, so we can use it this time
Hopefully, more kind hearted individuals can help chip in

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

this batch, there are
blades x 22 (including 7 new ones)
rubbers x 107 (including around 10 new ones)
clothes - didn't count yet, probably 100pcs + (including over a dozen new ones)
shoes brand new 5 pairs, slightly used 1 pair
3 shoulder bags
1 rugsack bag (new)

 

[kindof99]

this batch, there are
blades x 22 (including 7 new ones)
rubbers x 107 (including around 10 new ones)
clothes - didn't count yet, probably 100pcs + (including over a dozen new ones)
shoes brand new 5 pairs, slightly used 1 pair
3 shoulder bags
1 rugsack bag (new)

There are really nice stuffs in there. Is it better selling them and donate the money? THose Viscaria TB alc are not real fits for beginners.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

There are really nice stuffs in there. Is it better selling them and donate the money? THose Viscaria TB alc are not real fits for beginners.

i hear you, I am in a bit of a bit situation there.
if I go and sell and exchange the goods for money - it will have some complications, especially just giving money away.
I would need to think about it carefully and also have feedback from the coaches that arranged the donations.

also, not all of the kids are beginners.
for example, one of the girls we are targeting is 15 year old and help SA achieved bronze in the Africa Games women's team.
She is actually better than some of the players (has wins against them) that got humiliated by Japan in WTTTC 2024.
and African Games was her first senior outing, despite being able to beat regular women team members for the past 2 years.

If i was to put USATT rating, she is maybe 15 year old and in the range of 1800~2000.
She lost against Nigeria's women's no 1 in the R32 singles 5-11, 10-12, 9-11
and in teams her rallies/game play was very mature (good results and in the SF, she lost to Nigeria's no 3 in the 5th game)

so she is one in a decade and in need of equipment support. So one of the Taiwanese national players gave her a full new blade, with new rubbers and spare rubbers, new shoes and asked me to keep aside the "better clothes" for her.
She comes from one of the most toughest communities in Cape Town. Her home is so small that she has no where to sleep, so she sleeps by a relative's house. Her coach need to go and pick her up and train her, all for free.

There are a couple of good potentials there to use fast ALC blades, but I do see the supply of these blades will outpace the development of these potentials in South Africa..... so you have a raise a valid point and I would need to spent some energy there.

 

[mcfly]

Tony you are awesome.