Zitat:
Zitat von The albatross
Hi Adham,
I follow the news on the ITTF website concerning development events especially in Central America. As it is communicated it seems to me rather like individual support and incentives. I wonder if the national federations are prepared to really get the best benefit out of it.
Based on feedback from players and coaches across Latin America I know that the available ressources, both human and financial, are generally not abundant, but very different from one country to another.
What is the ITTF doing to support the countries, especially small ones, in creating sustainable development for TT in their country and exploring ways to obtain a better political presence for their national federation?
Maybe you could give some background about the broader concept and strategy of the development programme.
Most of the people think that popular sports are more or less defined forever at least on country level.
Just to give one example, this year Panama won the first Olympic gold medal in its history through Irving Saladino in long jump. A few years back almost nobody in Panama was aware that this sports exists, today Saladino is probably better known than the president of the republic and the day he returned from Beijing was declared national holiday.
This just to underline the potential in smaller countries. 
Rene |
This is a very good example. Also at the World Junior Championships which just finished yesterday there were big surprises from players from Iran and Egypt. In November a player from Latin America did great at the World Cadet Challenge. So all is possible.
We help TT developing associations by providing the following in terms of both financial and human resources assistance:
- Equipment assistance
- Teaching coaches (Coaching education courses)
- Coaching Course Conductors courses
- Umpire Courses
- Olympic Solidarity courses
- Women in sport courses
- Training camps for top juniors
- scholarships to top and promising juniors.
We also have a programme that addresses your concern. Together with Olympic Solidarity (IOC) there is a special project called "Developing a National Sport Structure". ITTF has been lucky to receive funds to implement this project (usually from 3 to 6 months) in several developing associations.
For the benefit of other readers: You can see all the details of the ITTF's development programme on our website (
www.ittf.com) under the section "Development"