Training centers in China in 2023?

[tea_pea]

I'll be heading to China soon (no more travel restrictions 🙌), and want to find a full-time training camp for a couple of weeks.

I've read older posts from people having a good time at the Zhengding camp in Hebei on this forum (e.g. this post) and other sites (e.g. here), but am getting bounce backs from the old email address floating around ([email protected]). Does anyone know if it's still open to Westerners? If so does anyone have an active contact/website/wechat for the center?

Alternatively are there any other good centers for table tennis camps in China?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

that email address has changed, I recall hearing them tell me long ago that they reached the "size limit" and can't use it any more. I should have the new email address somewhere.

What is your level? and what are you looking to do/achieve?

a lot of Chinese training centers for foreigners are just businesses and for high level overseas players, they don't really go to China any more and choose to either go to Japan or Taiwan.

Basically there is just so much foreigners coming in, you don't really get the attention - unless you have connections.
and one problem is, the centers are normally more rural/outskirt, so it is far to travel (or people are lazy to travel) to the city center during off days.

So it is really your exceptions as pricing has all increased in China and it isn't cheap like before (probably doubled since 10 years ago)

 

[tea_pea]

Thanks for the reply. So I'm travelling to Beijing/Shanghai for other reasons (work + family visit), and hoped to do some dedicated training while I'm out there. Mainly to have more space to focus more on tt -- I'm hoping to transition from mid/upper-intermediate to low-advanced in the next 1-2 years -- also as an investigation before perhaps committing to a longer training camp next year.

I did get one quote for Zhengding through the yejo site, though it seemed quite high, around 200 EUR per day, and I found posts suggesting they overcharged in the past. I'd appreciate it if you could share the email you have? Also interested to hear if there are Taiwanese centers you'd recommend?

My level: Played casually for a long time, but picked up the intensity the past 2-3 years, training ~10hrs a week (incl. ~1 hr of coaching), competing at local league level in the UK. (From eyeballing YouTube I'd guess I'm around 1800 USATT in the US system.)

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I just did a quick search, its not in my current email inbox.
i must have archived it and will need to plug up my external hdd to search old emails.
The last rate (this is maybe last year) was $130 or so upwards,
The basic + training + meals. No extras coaching etc.
This is what we call "team training", where you will be training with other players, 5.5 to 6.5 hours a day.

I know for more "modern" bases in Shanghai and Beijing, the price I heard in July 2023, was $150~$180 a day and that is if you have connection to go in.

I would say, if you are around USATT1800, you still have a lot to improve on, and 1 on 1 coaching could be more important for you than only doing team training.
team training - there isn't really much coaching going on, unless you are lucky that your training partner is also a foreigner and give you tips in English.

In Taiwan, assuming you are an adult. I won't be able to place you in a sport school/team.

But there are a lot of TT schools/ teaching clubs that I believe is quite popular to many westerners (i've see some people talk about it on mytt.
For example Lion King Table Tennis, and there are over dozens of different places that people would go there for classes.

Top coaches there max rate is USD40 an hour or so. Lower rated coaches would be half the price easily. Lower level would easily be usatt 2400 upwards, so they are still very good.

I actually recommended to someone else recently is to do 2 to 3 hours of 1on1 a day, and then there are many places you can play for free for another 2 to 3 hours.
and then since you are in the "city" (ie in Taipei), you could do a lot more tourism adventures.

For younger kids and of high level (8 and 10 year old).
I also recommended 2 hours of 1on1 at such TT schools in the morning, and afternoon I can place them in elementary/primary school team and do team training there.

Unfortunately team training is more for age appropriate and/or level appropriate.
There is one place busy building a huge TT Center, I heard they would open up for foreigners and do what Zhengding does, but that would likely be 2025 only.