December 31, 2015

Development and Education, Innovation and Expansion
Courtesy of ITTF

Initiated in 1999, the award winning, ITTF Development and Education Programs, now 17 years on, continue to innovate and expand.

The ITTF Development Program now regularly conducts over 100 courses per year, assists over 50 self-funded ITTF Coach Accreditation Courses and provides equipment assistance to approximately 30 countries per year.

In addition humanitarian and social projects are organized through Dream Building.

Major Contribution
Initiated in 2009, the ITTF Training and Education Program has also made a major contribution to worldwide development and works hand in hand with the ITTF Development Program.

Notably, this year the highly successful ITTF Hopes Program and network of ITTF Training Centers have been updated. Additionally, “With the Future in Mind Rio Scholarships” have been provided with ITTFEducation.com online learning being introduced. The latter saw the first of the “Spins and Skills” coaching films released plus a trial year initiated for the coaching mentorship project.

Membership
In 1999 when the ITTF Development Program began, one of the aims was to have table tennis played in every country of the world.

Membership of the International Table Tennis Federation was 180 at that time; today membership stands at 222, more than the International Olympic Committee and more than any other International Sports Federation.

It makes the International Table Tennis Federation the outright number one in terms of membership. There are now only four countries with National Olympic Committees that are not ITTF members. We are in discussions with each of them currently.

Highlights of Year
The first “World Table Tennis Day” was held on Monday 6th April as part of our new Table Tennis for All Program and was a huge success, involving over 150 events in 70 countries.

World Table Tennis Day will now be held annually to coincide with the United Nations and International Olympic Committee International Day on Sport for Development and Peace. Please come on board and support this important project in 2016 and every 6th April moving forward!

Fascinating Stories
Every person that led one of the Development and Education Program Courses or Programs in 2015 was a star! Each was a highlight and each had its own great story. (Talk to one of the course conductors listed below, you will no doubt hear a fascinating story).

Overall 161 courses covering Coach Education, Training Camps, Para Table Tennis, Women in Sport, Umpires and Referees Courses and National, Continental and World Hopes Weeks.

Full of Hope
“Hopes” continued to evolve and grow in stature with four tiered National Hopes Weeks, Continental Hopes Weeks, World Hopes Week, Hopes Team, with the preceding serving as the qualification for the next stage.

“Hot Spots” were revised and updated to a more progressive “International Training Center” structure.

Spins and Skills
“Spins and Skills” coaching films first eight short films released and second release planned for the end of 2016.

United Nations UNOSDP Camps continue to include table tennis as a core sport showing the close co-operation and respect for table tennis within the United Nations.

Team Effort
The success of the ITTF Development and Education Programs is very much a team effort.

Deepest thanks to those that contributed to the success including:

Europe: Poland embraced World Table Tennis Day in April
Photo courtesy of Polish Table Tennis Association

ITTF President
ITTF President Thomas Weikert, for his strong commitment to development and education moving forward, commencing already in 2006 through the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB), providing financial and technical support that has continued annually since 2006.

Former ITTF President and now ITTF Chair, Adham Sharara for his vision, leadership, and support initiating this project 17 years ago.

ITTF Executive Committee 
The ITTF Executive Committee for their support and advice, especially: Melecio Rivera (Development),Shi Zhihao (Education and Training), Petra Sörling (Women in Sport), Patrick Gillman (Global Junior Program).

Latin America: Puerto Rico welcomed China to the Caribbean
Photo by Pepo Diaz

ITTF Continental Vice Presidents 
Khaled El Salhy (Africa), Cai Zhenhua (Asia), Ronald Kramer (Europe), Juan Vila (Latin America), Tony Kiesenhofer (North America), James Morris (Oceania) for their close co-operation and leadership.

Development and Education Staff
One could not ask for more passionate and hard -working staff than:
– Leandro Olvech, ITTF Director-Development
– Polona Cehovin Susin, ITTF Director Education & Training
– Michael Brown, Dejan Papic and Ahmed Dawlatly for their contributions to Development and Education and Training

Continental Development Officers: Michael Brown(Africa), Afshin Badiee (Asia), Neven Cegnar (Europe), Ramon Ortega Montes (Latin America), Mireille Tallon (North America) and Michael Brown (Oceania) for their untiring efforts in implementing the Continental Development Plans.

North America: Christian Lillieroos visited New York to conduct a successful course – Photo courtesy of Christian Lillieroos

The 88 ITTF Coaches and Course Conductors (in alphabetical order) 
To those that conducted courses, we salute you in this important work!

Nigel Adams (RSA), Freddy Almendariz (ECU), Rafael Armendariz (ECU), Mohammad Atoom (JOR), Afshin Badiee (IRI), Mohammed Bassyoni (EGY), Anisleivys Bereau (CUB), Jan Berner (SWE), Michael Brown (AUS), Neven Cegnar (CRO), Polona Cehovin (SLO), Chan Foong Keong (MAS), Christina Chee (MAS), Sylvain Chermette (FRA), Sydney Christophe (GUY), Brett Clarke (AUS), Guillermo Coydan (CHI), Jhon Cruz (COL), Dave Delpratt (AUS), Ahmed Dawlatly (EGY), Pontus Dyrefors (SWE), Aleena Edwards (TTO), Carlos Esnard (ESA), Keith Evans (USA), Ashraf Abdel-Fatah (EGY), Silvia Garro (CRC), Cathy Gauthier (NCL), Mohamed Gharib (EGY), Stephen Gillespie (AUS), Carole Grundisch (FRA), Nicolas Guigon (FRA), Sarah Hanffou (FRA), Christian Holtz (AUS), Tokannata Ioatene (KIR), David Jacques (CAN), Eva Jeler (GER), Peter Karlsson (SWE), Peter Kavanaugh (JAM), Ferenc Karsai (HUN), Arif Khan (PAK), Miran Kondric (SLO), Boe Lawson (TOG), Kaka Lawson (TOG), Tearo Le Caill (PYF), Li Xiaodong (CHN), Christian Lillieroos (USA), Sima Limoochi (IRI), Anver Lyners (RSA), Ramzi Bel Haj Mabrouk (TUN), Jessica Macaskill (NZL), John Macpherson (CAN), Fernando Malheiro (POR), Richard McAfee (USA), Ronald Mugwanya (UGA), Benny Nilsson (SWE), Marcos Nuñez (CHI), Albert Oh (SIN), Leandro Olvech (ARG), Ramon Ortega Montes (ESP), Martin Ostermann (LUX), Sharad Pandit (AUS), Dejan Papic (CAN), Rodrigo Paz (COL), Luisana Perez (VEN), Luz Pichardo (DOM), YV Pradeep (IND), Rachel Ramos (PHI), Alan Resture (TUV), Patrick Ringel (FRA), Cédric Rouleau (FRA), Francisco Seijas (VEN), Cyril Sen (MAS), Georg Silberschmidt (SUI), Guilherme Simoes (BRA), Juraj Stefak (SVK), Maxime Surprenant (CAN), Soledad Tenzi (ARG), Edward Ting (SIN), Joze Urh (SLO), Jose Urrutia (CHI), Tiago Viegas (POR), Wajira Wickramasinghe (SRI), Sheng Wu (TPE), Shigang Yang (USA), Aiman Fazeer Yap (MAS), Lincon Yasuda (Brazil), Aleksey Yefremov (BLR), Lily Yip (USA).

Oceania: The Solomon Islands was one of the Pacific Islands to be featured
Photo courtesy of Michael Brown

The Manufacturers and Supporters
Butterfly and Stag for their kind and unwavering support of the ITTF Development Program since 1999.

Double Happiness, Nittaku, Xiom and Tibhar, who have funded special projects for many years and Ipong for joining the team of supporters.

The German Table Tennis Association for their ongoing equipment support since 2006.

The Foundation for Global Sports Development for their ongoing support of the ITTF Development and Education since 2009

Olympic Solidarity, in particular Pere Miro; also Yassine Yousfi, Carina Dragomir, and Cynthia Anami (Coaches Department), Silvia Lucciarini, Olivier Niamkey and Edward Kensington (Athletes Department) for their close co-operation and support.

ITTF Staff
ITTF staff members who worked closely and tirelessly with the ITTF Development and Education Programs (alphabetically): Habiba Besic, Raul Calin, Steve Dainton, Mohamed Dawlatly, Etsuko Enami, Judit Farago, Leah Guo, Kimberley Koh, Ian Marshall, Matt Pound, Mo El-Shentenawy, and Caifeng Yang.

All of you have made a big contribution to the development and education of table tennis worldwide! Thank you
Glenn Tepper (ITTF Deputy Chief Executive Officer).