Motivated by the ITTF Development Programme, a major step forward in the promotion of table tennis in Sri Lanka was made by the national association on 21st and 22nd January 2008, when several coaching courses were held in Trincomalee, a port city in the north east of Sri Lanka.
Trincomalee is renowned for its high level of security and in recent years the playing of table tennis in the area has dwindled; one of the main reasons being that there was not a qualified officer of person available to promote the sport in the city.
Changes
However, that situation is now set to change. A “Peace Village" in Iqbal Nagar on the outskirts of Trincomalee has been opened and now the development of table tennis in the area can take place.
Opened by the Asian German Sports Exchange Programme, the “Peace Village” has an indoor stadium with three table tennis tables and for the weekend of 21st and 22nd January 2008, Dietmar Doering, the Chief Executive Officer of the Asian German Sports Exchange Programme, organised two qualified table tennis coaches.
Schools
The result was that the weekend witnessed several coaching camps in a number of schools in Trincomalee with Gayan Dilupa and Tharindu Chinthaka being the coaches.
They operated under the guidance of Chandana Perera, the Chairman of Coaching and Development Committee of Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka.
Beneficiaries
Schools to benefit were in Trincomalee were the Hindu College, Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya School, St Josephs College, St Mary’s Convent and in Iqbal Nagar, the Mohamadhiya Vidyalaya School.
Next Step
“The next step is to organise another coaching camp on 20th and 21st March 2008 which will be followed by a tournament in Trincomalee on 22nd and 23rd March 2008 under the auspices of the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka”, said a very enthusiastic Chandana Perera.
Tsunami Hit Area
Successful coaching courses held in Trincomalee and also in Kandy where the local association organised an introductory programme, with a coaching camp at Muthumai Ambal Vidyalaya, a tsunami affected area of Sri Lanka.
The course was possible thanks to the support of the Norwegian Table Tennis Association who had assisted with the erection of a new hall housing five table tennis tables; furthermore, in conjunction with the International Table Tennis Federation and the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka, balls and rackets had also been provided.
Plans
Five senior coaches who had attended an ITTF Level One Coaches Course conducted matters in Kandy and plans are now in place to extend the coaching programme further by involving schools and colleges.
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