Landmark Occasion for Panama, Hosts Hopes Week
Courtesy of ITTF
June 14, 2016 – The most famous isthmus in the world, Panama was the home for the home for a Hopes Week from Saturday June 4th to Saturday June 11th; proceedings were directed by Paul Koatz, coach for the Argentine National Team.
Overall, a total of 21 players, 16 boys and five girls, attended for what was the first such initiative organized by the Panama Table Tennis Association; home for the whole proceedings was the Oxford College in Panama City.
A total of 12 table tennis tables were available throughout.
Organization
Three sessions were held each day; a training session was staged from 9.30am to 12.00 noon; next followed a shorter session from 1.45pm to 2.30pm where the focus of attention was on theory and evaluation.
Each day closed with a second session from 2.30pm to 5.00pm where the accent was on practice routines and various games with the coaches being given the opportunity to put theory into practice.
Visited Canal
“On Friday at noon a visit to the Panama Canal was organized”, said Pablo Koatz. “It is one of the world’s most remarkable engineering feats, linking two oceans.”
Certainly, it is a remarkable sight and understandably everyone enjoyed the visit.
Tournament
“The last two days, Friday 10th and Saturday 11th June, a tournament was held, it gave the opportunity see the technical and tactical advances that had been made”, explained Pablo Koatz. “The winner was Gabriel Lewis, followed Marco Moscoso, also worthy of note were Manuel Mock and Joseph Kivsch; they finished in third and fourth places respectively.”
Also impressive was Leah Rodriguez, she finished in the top eight.
Promising Group
“Panama now has a group of young players who if they continue to practice in the way they did during the Hopes Week may well succeed in continental tournaments in both the long and medium term”, continued Pablo Koatz. “The coaches worked as a team to complete a successful week.”
Medals were awarded to the top three players; all received certificates and a polo shirt.
