TABLE TENNIS - EACH SCHOOL - EVERY SCHOOL - ALL SCHOOLS IN NSW

Ross Abbott who Table Tennis New South Wales (TTNSW) contracted to coordinate and promote table tennis in NSW schools is now two months into his new role.

Ross has early success with an agreement with the NSW Department of Education (NSWDE) for TTNSW to provide a table tennis training course for NSW school teachers. This course will qualify as a part of the NSW teacher learning requirements.

President of TTNSW, Tony Aduckiewicz said: “TTNSW is keen to ensure all students in NSW schools have an opportunity to get involved in table tennis. TTNSW is working closely with Table Tennis Australia (TTA) and NSWDE to drive table tennis as one of the sports played in each school and every school in all of NSW.”

Tony continued: “Welcome aboard Ross Abbott! Ross has excellent school sports consultancy and management experience as a state manager for school program for more than 13 years. He has around 30 years of rich governance experience as a school sport teacher and a school principal at the NSWDE. Ross is also Vice President of the NSW Primary School Sports Association, President of Blacktown Primary School Sports Association, and State Convener of Golf and Cross Country. Drawing from Ross’s wealth of experience in school sport management and governance, TTNSW is expecting the table tennis to be a catalyst that will capture more school students’ attention and allow table tennis to reach each and every school to grow grassroots student participation at all NSW schools.”

Vice President of TTNSW, Ted Davis, said: “TTNSW is very pleased to see more juniors in NSW playing table tennis in their earlier ages, and is also very pleased to see more junior players join the NSW State Teams and National Junior and Hopes Squads.”

Ted continued: “The 2021 NSW Primary Schools Table Tennis Championships was held on 7 June 2021 at Sydney Olympic Park with nearly 200 junior players from NSW primary schools. The Paul Zhao coached Carlingford West Public School provided 52 students who participated in this championship. All of its teams played very strongly, and won one Gold Medal, two Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal.”

Principal of Carlingford West Public School, Andrew Williamson said: “I was privileged to watch a few of the games and I am amazed at our students' talent. I only wish that when I was a student I would have had such opportunities as I was a 'Table Tennis Tragic’.”

Ted said:” In 2021, Carlingford West Public School again sent the largest delegation for 2021 NSW Primary Schools Table Tennis Championships. TTNSW is grateful for the strong support of Mr Andrew Williamson and his school to assist table tennis to boom in NSW primary school over the past two decades. Currently seven national junior and hopes squad members are training or have been training table tennis at Carlingford West Public School with Paul Zhao Table Tennis Academy. It is 32% of current national junior and hope squad members from the whole of New South Wales.”

TTNSW Secretary and State Junior Team Manager, Leonie Whiteford, said: “TTNSW has enjoyed tremendous success in its junior table tennis. NSW dominated in 2019 National Junior Championships, the only national junior championships until today due to COVID-19 restriction. TTNSW achieved 6 Gold Medals, 1 Silver Medal and 2 Bronze Medals in 8 team events in 2019 National Junior Championships.”  

Leonie continued: “Three NSW junior players also won medals in 2019 National Senior and Youth Table Tennis Championships Team Events: U21 Women’s Silver Medal - Alice Lee (13 years old), and U21 Men’s Gold Medal - Hwan Bae (14 years old) & James Kim (15 years old). Two NSW junior players Hwan Bae and Angela Wang won 2021 Commonwealth Games NSW Athlete Grant. All these achievements justify the success of NSW school table tennis program as the perfect platform to build on as the vehicle continues to develop the pathway through the sport from grassroots level to national level and international level.”

Commonwealth Games NSW Chief Executive Officer Peter Tate said “These young athletes have demonstrated tremendous ability in their respective sport pathways. I have no doubt many will be chosen to represent Australia in future Commonwealth Games.”

Ted emphasised: “TTNSW is one of the pilot partners of the TTA school sports program to support primary school students as they transition from school-based sporting program to participating at their local sporting club, promoting lifelong engagement in sport. TTNSW wants to build on that success to keep those kids who really enjoyed their table tennis experience at school playing table tennis as one of their sports of choice in their whole life.”

Ross said: "I’m excited to join TTNSW. Table tennis is an Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sport, and it is a sport for all, regardless of age, gender or ability - an advantage that table tennis boasts over other sports. I look forward to continuing the great work already being done by TTNSW and its clubs/associations/schools in promoting the benefits of table tennis and looking to grow participation rates across all schools in NSW and the wider community.”

Ted said:” We are ready to go to the next level and adding Ross to our team will fast track the development of our table tennis in school program. The items we have put in place have now given us an excellent opportunity to push our sport more fully into the school system with the potential to gain us significant numbers of new participants, new members and new coaches. “

Ted commented: “With this agreement the NSW Department of Education, TTNSW will schedule two table tennis coaching courses in Term 4 2021 where the teachers will be TOPS accredited and Spinneroos accredited at the end of each session. The first session will be held at St Anthony’s School at Marsfield on 1 Nov 2021 and the second session will be held at Port Macquarie at a date to be determined. Any inquiry for the above training courses can contact TTNSW via mail@ttnsw.org.au.”

Tony concluded: “Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic Games. As the first New South Wales born and grown female Australian table tennis Olympian in history, Michelle Bromley is inspiring and encouraging all NSW junior players to train harder for their dreams. NSW junior players are filled with excitement at the future possibility of competing at a home Olympics in front of friends and family. TTNSW trusts that more and more junior players from NSW will represent Australia to compete in future Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. It is the best time for us to promote table tennis as one of school sports in each school and every school in all NSW right now.”

David Lee and Michael Li thank Peter Tate and Andrew Williamson for the interviews.