Canada and United States combine, successful training camp held in Burnaby

Courtesy of ITTF / by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Staged immediately prior to the ITTF-North America Cup and the inaugural Panam Junior Championships; a training camp was staged in the west coast Canadian city of Burnaby situated in British Columbia.

Organized under the auspices of the ITTF Development Program in liaison with the North American Table Tennis Union, the venue for the whole proceedings was the Fortius Sport Centre, the same venue as used for the ensuing tournaments.

September 4, 2016 – Matters commenced on Monday June 20^th and concluded on June 20 and concluded on Thursday June 23^rd; a total of 12 boys and 12 girls from Canada attended.

Coaches

On duty for Canada at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Pradeeban Peter-Paul was the man at the helm of proceedings. He was supported by colleague Yonjiang Liu and Wang Enlong in addition to Massimo Constantini and Stefan Feth, the coaches of the players from the United States.

“I was very happy with the turn-out of the camp. The players came well prepared and ready to work hard, especially with the World Junior Championships qualification competition coming up. I varied the sessions to include a lot of tactical training and match preparation. It was really a great camp and I look forward to leading many more!” Pradeeban Peter-Paul.

Training sessions

Sessions were held twice daily and included a variety of exercises with the emphasis on consolidating techniques, tactical and match preparation plus physical training. Each day players practiced with different partners.

“It’s always nice to see the camaraderie between the Canadian and United States players, even when there’s an important competition just days away. It is also evident that both countries benefit from these joint training camps because of the different styles of play they are exposed to and also the skills that the US brings to the group.” Mireille Tallon, ITTF North America Development Officer.  

A range of styles and expertise on duty; all combined to produce a successful experience.