posted Oct 9, 2007

Well done for promoting your sport as an alternative lifestyle.
The only issue I have is that the 'Urban Cup' is yet more money pouring into inner cities.
How about some money/facilities for those of us who don't live in or near cities - there is as much deprevation is some parts of the rural country as there is in the inner cities.

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posted Oct 9, 2007

It's comment like those from U2247342 which promote the stagnation of sport in general in this country. The lack of appreciation for minority sports and the table tennis is just 'ping pong knock about'. I play in my local league and in tournaments around the country. I have been out of the game for 12 yrs and yes to be honest the administration and marketing of the sport has not changed much but the likes of Darius Knight and Paul Drinkhall have done good for the sport.

The issue is the marketability of the sport to the masses, not only in terms of playing but more importantly in watching the sport. This is where the most important questions need to be answered. Football fans do not all play football. In fact the majority do not and even more so Formula 1 but those sports have money and sponsorship and a wide fan base. Table Tennis is watched by people who play and friends and families (occasionally) of players.

It needs to be televised and in this day and age a bit of bazaaz is needed

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posted Oct 9, 2007

Hello Claire S. To be honest I do not know why there are no concrete tables in the UK. I do not know how much of a difference it will make. It's the image of the game that suffers. I know of schools who have excellent facilities and quality tables but sports heads simply disregard the sport and they gather dust while they could be used actively.

This is a sport that is proud of the number of volunteers it has. That is all good and well but it needs and injection of marketing and new ideas that the administration have to listen to. For example can you believe that the top prize for a Grand Prix (national event) in the top band is £300. The player who wins this is usually a full time professional. I started playing by chance because we had a table in sixth form at lunchtimes. I feel lucky to have come across this.

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posted Oct 11, 2007

i play the sport and am now a coach.. it has been a saviour to me.. but i do think there are problems with the star approach. namely they may distract from providing generic funding and facilities.. what really harmed the sport was the destruction of youth clubs.. i want to thank the 2 georges from SARAH SIDDONS YOUTH CLUB. in the 80's they ran a club.. that coached table tennis! so what the sport needs is a combation of stars and facilities( the ETTA is working on good coaches)

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posted Oct 11, 2007

Yes I agree with adedouglas. I had the opportunity and learnt this sport in a youth club on council estate in Peckham. It was a godsend. A few of us started playing in our jeans and shoes and we were not rushed by our coach but the love of the game continued and we began training properly and entering our local league (which sadly, does not exist anymore). What is crucial is that it has to be played and promoted at the school level within the schools to reach the masses. This coupled with airtime will make a difference

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posted Oct 17, 2007

indeed.. that appears to be the ETTA policy.. and it has to be softly.. as our enemies.. include caretakers... and porters. some of my associates in brighton. are doing sterling job of getting involved in local youth clubs... getting kids from the estates to play.. going to schools.. and focusing on finding players for the future.. and to that extent i have become convinced that the sports needs stars.. to draw attention to the sport.. and a strong administration .. to cope with the modern demands,.. and promote the sport

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posted Jan 29, 2008

Table tennis is a great sport and i really hope that Knight succeeds. i play table tennis alot and im lucky that the area i live in (macclesfield) is brilliant in table tennis one of the best places to play in the north east

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posted Mar 10, 2008

Hi Claire S. Outdoor Concrete Table Tennis Tables are available in the UK from Concrete Leisure. We have been supplying them to schools, colleges, parks, hospitals and prisons etc in the UK for two years now.
Not only does the sport improve hand-eye coordination and reactions, it is fun and easy to play, even though it can be extremely demanding at the higher levels if you put the effort in. The sport can also be used as a focal point/activity for youths to try and reduce anti-social behaviour. These are the reasons we feel it is a perfect sport to offer to communities in their public spaces, particularly disadvantaged inner city areas (no offence to gefmayhem, no-one disputes the fact that there are disadvantaged areas in rural Britain, unfortunately there are far more of them and it is much more of a problem in the inner cities).

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