PROUD AUSSIES CONTRIBUTING TO TABLE TENNIS INTERNATIONALLY

Three icons of Australian table tennis contributed or are contributing to table tennis internationally at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) level, and the Australian table tennis community is very proud of them: Graham Symons, Neil Harwood OAM, and Steve Dainton.

On 25 November 2021, TTA proudly announced that TTA President Graham Symons has been elected to the ITTF Executive Committee as a Vice President, with the election taking place at the ITTF AGM overnight in Houston, USA. Graham is one of only 11 people worldwide on the ITTF Executive Committee, all of whom will serve a four year term.

Graham is the first Australian to hold this prestigious position since TTA Life Member and TTA Hall of Fame Member Neil Harwood OAM, who served in the role from 2005 to 2013.

Australian table tennis community congratulated Graham, no doubt Graham will serve ITTF with distinction, just as he has and will continue to do for TTA.

Graham grew up in the Northern Territory and has lived on remote communities and in Darwin, and has tertiary qualifications in Science, Social Administration and Business and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Graham has been involved in table tennis for more than 50 years. Graham has served in multiple roles including as a player, coach, board member, administrator and tournament director. Graham joined the TTA Board in late 2017 and during his tenure TTA has undergone a significant and sustainable resurgence, including: turning a $650,000 debt into a $500,000 surplus, achieving record participation numbers, securing more than $4.5 million in government funding and sponsorship, achieving record breaking results at the Tokyo Paralympic Games and earning maximum quota places for the Tokyo Olympic Games, revamping the National Championships and launching the TTA Tour, plus recognising the rich history of Australian table tennis.

In Graham's professional career, he has 27 years experience as a senior executive, including being chief executive of 4 government agencies and deputy chief executive of another 4 government agencies. Graham also has more than 20 years of board experience, including serving multiple organisations as president/chairman.

Graham’s election campaign focused on three key pillars: unity, transparency, and results focused. These pillars, combined with Graham’s skills, knowledge and more than 50 years experience in table tennis resonated with the ITTF members. Graham's role in TTA's significant and sustainable turnaround over the past four years was also acknowledged by the voters.

Graham, as he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, will be a strong representative for Australia, Oceania and Commonwealth countries/territories on the global stage.

On 10 November 2020, TTA announced that Neil Harwood OAM has been inducted into the TTA Hall of Fame (Administrator). Neil is one of Australia’s longest serving and highest achieving administrators, enjoying a decorated career over more than 50 years at every level of our great sport.

The TTA Hall of Fame recognises outstanding contributions made to table tennis in the fields of playing, coaching, officiating and/or administering the sport. An individual may only be inducted into the TTA Hall of Fame by meeting certain criteria and being endorsed by the TTA Hall of Fame Selection Panel and the TTA Board.

Harwood’s long list of accolades extends beyond his tenure as President. Harwood began his table tennis administration career at national level in 1976 as Chairman of the National Coaching Committee and quickly made an impact on Table Tennis Australia. Over the following 20 years, Harwood held multiple significant roles including Chairman of National Selectors, Coach and Manager of the National Junior Boys Team, as well as the National Team Manager for three Olympic Games, seven World Championships, four Commonwealth Championships, three Asian Championships and five Oceania Championships.

With so much experience behind him, Harwood became a TTA Board Member and Director in 1984, before rising up to President from 1996 to 1999, before stepping back into his position as Board Member from 2001 to 2004.

As a TTA Life Member, Harwood also made his mark on the sport internationally. He was the Competition Manager for the sport at the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, before becoming President of International Table Tennis Federation – Oceania. He then rose through the ranks of the ITTF, holding roles of Continental Vice President on the Executive Board, Chairman of Umpires and Referees Committee, Executive Vice President, Finance and then finally Deputy President. 

Harwood also served as a Board Member of Commonwealth Games Australia, and in 2007, was bestowed with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Congratulating Harwood on his achievement, TTA Chief Executive Officer Scott Houston said the induction was due recognition for his work as a leader of the sport both in Australia and internationally.

“Neil is arguably Table Tennis Australia’s greatest ever administrator, enjoying a decorated career over more than 50 years,” Scott said.

“Neil’s impact was so great, and he was able to bring an Australian voice to the sport at an international level. Coming from a country so small in relation to the rest of the table tennis population, that’s something that truly remarkable.”

“On behalf of TTA, I’d like to congratulate Neil for not only this achievement, but also for everything he has contributed to making our sport what it is today.”

Harwood’s full list of achievements in Table Tennis:

INTERNATIONAL TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION:

-    TTA Delegate to ITTF (1985 – 1995)

-    Continental Vice-President on Executive Board (1996 – 2005)

-    Chairman of Umpires and Referees Committee (2001 – 2003)

-    Executive Vice-President, Finance (2005 – April 2012)

-    Deputy President (April 2012 – 2013)

-    Responsibility for Finance, Umpires & Referees, Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and Para Table Tennis (2005 – 2013)

-    Awarded Life Membership and appointed to the President’s Advisory Committee (2014)

ITTF-OCEANIA:

-    TTA Delegate to ITTF-Oceania (1983 – 1995)

-    President (1996 – 2005)

-    Awarded Personal Honorary Membership (2007)

OLYMPIC GAMES, PARALYMPIC GAMES AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES:

-    Competition Manager, Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games (paid role) (1997 – 2000)

-    International Technical Delegate for the 2004 Olympic Games (2001 – 2004)

-    Advisor to BOCOG regarding competition management (2004)

-    International Technical Delegate for Melbourne Commonwealth Games (2004 – 2006)

-    Chairman of the Jury for the 2010 Commonwealth Games (2010)

TABLE TENNIS AUSTRALIA:

-    Accredited as Level 2 Coach (1976)

-    Chairman of National Coaching Committee (1976 – 1978)

-    Chairman of National Selectors (1979 – 1983)

-    Coach/Manager of National Junior Boys Team (1981)

-    National Team Manager (including some roles as non-playing captain) (1983 – 1996)

i)     3 x Olympic Games (1988, 1992, 1996)

ii)    7 x World Championships

iii)    4 x Commonwealth Championships

iv)    3 x Asian Championships

v)     5 x Oceania Championships

vi)    Multiple other miscellaneous Development events.

-    Awarded TTA Life Membership (1994)

-    Board Member and Director, Table Tennis Australia (1984 – 1995)

-    President, Table Tennis Australia (1996 – 1999)

-    Director, Table Tennis Australia (2001 – 2004)

COMMONWEALTH TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION:

-    TTA Delegate to CTTF (1983 – 1999)

-    Deputy Chairman (1999 – 2014)

-    Awarded Life Membership (2015)

COMMONWEALTH GAMES AUSTRALIA:

-    Board Member (2001 – 2004)

-    Member of Investigating Committee at Manchester Commonwealth Games (2002)

OTHER AWARDS:

-    Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) (2007)

-    Life Member of Table Tennis Tasmania

-    Life Member of Southern Tasmania Table Tennis Association

-    Service to Sport Award, Sportsmen’s Association of Australia (1988)

-    Award of Merit, International Table Tennis Federation (1995)

-    Citizen of the Year Award, Glenorchy City Council (1997)

-    Australian Sports Medal (2000)

On 12 November 2020, TTA announced that Steve Dainton has been inducted into the TTA Hall of Fame (Administrator). Steve’s administrative career over the past 21 years has taken him to the highest echelon of international table tennis, summarised as:

INTERNATIONAL TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION:

ITTF Chief Executive Officer, 2017 - present:

- Led the creation and preparation of the first ever ITTF Strategic Plan “Table Tennis For All For Life 2018-2024”.

- Significant increase (more than 100%) in ITTF commercial revenue in less than three years, compared to previous commercial rights cycle.

- Created a professional staff structure to ensure further growth – increasing staff from 30 to 80 persons.

- Developed and established a professional commercial vehicle, World Table Tennis, to manage and further enhance the business and commercial prospects for the sport in the future.

- Conceptualised the ITTF Foundation to drive forward the Corporate Social Responsibility activities.

- Launched an ITTF Governance and Management review to meet better modern standards and good practices.

- Imagined and crystallised the Unified Korea Women's team during the 2018 World Team Championships in Halmstad, Sweden, where South Korea and North Korea combined to compete as a unified team against Japan in the semi-final.

- Developed the idea of the future Global Home of Table Tennis, becoming not just the ITTF Headquarters, but a worldwide hub for the sport, including Research and Development facilities, a training centre, a laboratory for testing of materials and a centre of excellence for sport development.

- Overseeing the management of the ITTF during the COVID-19 crisis.

ITTF Marketing Director, 2010 - 2017:

- Created new marketing agreements with the all ITTF Continents to further develop Continental events.

- Improved continental events led to TV deals being done in all Continents and our sport being broadcasted for the first time in decades in many countries:

   i)    Fox Sports Australia

  ii)    Fiji TV

  iii)    Supersports – Africa pan regional channel

  iv)    Eurosport – European Pan regional

  v)    Various Channels in the Americas

- Secured several large sponsors for the ITTF – including communication companies and automobile companies.

- Assisted in generating new revenues for the ITTF worth in excess of US$10 million.

- Grew the ITTF media team which led to the development of the current ITTF social media platforms.

- Led the Future Events Working Group to analyse ITTF products with major focus on ensuring the long-term health of the World Table Tennis Championships, which was struggling to find new hosts outside major table tennis markets.

- Creation of a World Championship qualification system and platform which also increases content for the Continental and regions within.

ITTF Asia Pacific Office Director, 2005 - 2010:

- Set up the first ITTF Office in the Asia Pacific region in Shanghai, China.

- Assisted in the delivery of the 2005 World Championships in Shanghai.

- Assisted in the delivery of the table tennis event of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

- Improved the relations between the ITTF and China Table Tennis Association.

- Serviced, managed and sourced multiple ITTF commercial partners.

INTERNATIONAL TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION – OCEANIA:

Oceania Development Officer, 2002 - 2005:

- Increasing the number of active National Associations.

- Establishing new National Associations.

- Implementing the Oceania Development Program which focused on coach education, increasing training and competition opportunities, provision of equipment, administrative education, and officiating education.

- Raising participation levels at continental events, including a then record 12 countries participating at the Oceania Championships.

- Assisted talented pacific players to secure opportunities to train and compete in overseas developed table tennis environments. Multiple players have gone on to participate at the Olympic Games/Commonwealth Games and/or become Pacific Games champions, including Yoshua Shing (Vanuatu), Priscilla Tommy (Vanuatu), Alize Belrose (Tahiti), Choy Freddy (Kiribati), Atea Tetabo (Kiribati), and Louisa Manico (Cook Islands).

TABLE TENNIS AUSTRALIA:

TTA Scholarship Coach, 1999-2000:

 - In 1999 working with National Coach Jerzy Grycan to help prepare the team for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

-  In 2000 working with John Matovinovic and Li Wang Li in Adelaide with the South Australian Team.

-  In 2000, led a tour of Beijing with South Australian junior players.

OTHER INFORMATION:

- 1992-2001: Junior State Team Coach for NSW, Victoria and South Australia, including multiple players/teams winning national and state junior titles.

- 1992-1997: Club Coach for Albury Wodonga Table Tennis Association, including multiple players being selected to represent NSW and Victoria and multiple players winning national and state junior titles.

- 1984-1997: Player for Albury Wodonga Table Tennis Associations, including 4 x Club Champion (1994-1997), 2 x Victorian Country Championships Men’s Singles runner up, and NSW and Victorian representative at junior and youth level on multiple occasions.

On 17 Jul 2021, Steve Dainton was promoted to International Table Tennis Federation Group CEO in recognition of his work over the last four years as ITTF CEO. Steve is now tasked with leading all three entities under the ITTF Group umbrella – the ITTF, which is the international governing body of Table Tennis, the ITTF Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the ITTF, and World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial and event business of the ITTF.

Vice President of TTNSW, Ted Davis, said “TTNSW is proud of the contribution from a long list of Australians have made to ITTF over many decades and we’re pleased that Graham Symons and Steve Dainton continue to build on the legacy. “

David Lee and Michael Li wish to gratefully acknowledge Marie Pinkewich, Table Tennis NSW (TTNSW), Table Tennis Australia (TTA) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).