FAR NORTH COAST NSW TABLE TENNIS IS BOOMING AND AIMING HIGHER

Far North Coast NSW Table Tennis Association is located in Goonellabah, a suburb of the City of Lismore and is approximately 750km north of Sydney or an 8 hour drive. It is a beautiful city where table tennis is booming and aiming higher.

Its state-of-the-art venue has excellent sporting facilities including 11 international standard tables, evenly spaced lighting and Olympic standard Taraflex flooring. 2 new wheelchair tables will be arriving shortly and the club supervisor Malcolm Shoesmith has experience with para table tennis. The club will expand the operation to para table tennis.

The club has a spacious seating area for approximately 60 people, as well as a separate meeting room with an elevated view of the entire centre. It also operates a canteen and shop selling table tennis equipment.

In January 2021, Far North Coast NSW successfully ran a Level 1 Coaching Course where five of their members undertook the course. With these extra TTA Accredited Level 1 coaches, Far North Coast NSW is now able to provide more regular coaching programs for seniors, juniors and para athletes to ensure the growth of table tennis in the region.

The centre is open on Monday and Wednesday nights, Monday morning seniors coaching, Wednesday afternoon juniors coaching, and Tuesday and Thursday mornings for social doubles play.

In 2020 the Association recognized the need to fully utilize their premises and employed Graeme Townsend to set up arrangements to ensure this happened. Graeme started them on the road to expansion but, due to personal circumstances, moved to the Brisbane area.

Julie Burton was then appointed as the junior coaching coordinator in February 2021, and has expanded the already successful junior program.

Sam and Cooper from Kadina High School in Lismore with Julie in 2021

The efforts of the Association are already showing gains with the initial success of the local High School Team who defeated the previously undefeated Tweed School Team in the Zone High School Championships. The team will now play the strong Port Macquarie combination for the opportunity to represent the North Coast at the NSW Championships.

The junior coaching group at the Goonellabah Centre includes the successful High School boys who are training hard right now to prepare for the next stage of the event. The winner will represent the Far North Zone at the finals in Sydney in later 2021

Julie Burton is looking forward to the final announcement of the International Olympic Committee who have previously advised that Brisbane is the preferred candidate to host the 2032 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games

President Wayne Fletcher advised that “We are only about 300 km down from the Sunshine Coast and only a short 25km detour inland off the Pacific Motorway at the Ballina interchange. Why don’t you break your journey and stop at our club for a hit as you drive up for 2021 National Senior, Youth, Junior & Para Championships in July 2021? “

In the end, Treasurer Brian Johnson said: “Although our club and our association are located in a small city we have a big dream.”

More details can be found from the following links:

https://youtu.be/sYc576zIhvU

https://www.fnctabletennis.com.au/