Ten Years After

As we all know;   Time Flies Fast and Furious.

Almost to the day ten years ago we had, in the wonderful world of international table tennis, a relatively fresh-faced Werner Schlager from Austria presenting himself as the new world men’s singles champion in Table Tennis .

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The year was 2003 – the arena the same as now ; Paris Bercy Omni sport  and we were all experiencing  the hay days of the new Pro Tour , that somehow in the early goings , provided a clear-cut professional option for the athletes tired of playing gruelling ,  time-consuming league matches .  If my memory does not fail me – Werner himself credited the many tour stops that year as the main reason for winning the championships.

My feeling was that our events in general had that optimistic bounce in them.  The Paris 2003 Worlds marked the first individual championships and for a moment there – although many problems that we had then, still remain today, we believed in the format to make Table Tennis (the sport) much bigger by enforcing rules and regulations about the presentational aspects.

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Ten Years After – Table Tennis is a sport dominated, almost at will by one country. We have a World professional  tour swimming in deep dangerous waters with the media partners asking for  changes  , with  the lineup of sponsors thin and the  top athletes drifting  in and out all according to their own   interest.  

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As for the world championships – well, it is bigger alright – in fact swelling by each year as it seems. The numbers (participation, free hospitality) are a grim read for the future organizers effectively adding financial pressure and general stress to the chosen few thinking about organizing.

Today – Ten Years After; The ITTF family is larger than ever. It is no doubt  due to the carefully  constructed  ITTF Development program, now  perfected , operating  in full sync with a growing number of humanitarian programs available in the world of sports.

Of course many of the ITTF members, as they are entitled too, target the world championships for a yearly meet and greet with friends and foes from all over the world. Consequently we have – without thinking very much just made the WTTC into a massive participation event now facing severe problems in terms of finding a home in the future years. Yes – I know that we have a home in Tokyo next year – in China the year after and even in Malaysia 2016, as well as in Sweden 2018.  Having said that – it is time to reflect on the reality, to spark the discussion and to put some serious thoughts on the table for a new slimmed down concept.

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It is the final day of the 2013 LIEBHERR World championships in Paris. Long gone are the days early in the week when you had to use your very best machete to cut out a place to even watch the qualification action in multiple venues. We opened this event with more than eight hundred athletes waiving the “We are ITTF family” flag – all in good participation spirit. According to the Director of the championships and my old friend Michel Gadal – some three  hundred of those played two matches or less before folding their gear and left with no other choice than to enjoy one week in Paris , hospitality paid. Not a bad gig by any account.

Today however all but six participants have left the red Paris Bercy floor and are now comfortably seated in the stands to watch our the athletes dressed I red or yellow ( China) battle it out for the two remaining titles. They better keep pace the Chinese – because In fact, following the conclusion of three events, the mixed and men’s doubles and the women’s singles they have only won one!

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Take that the world of table tennis and dig yourself into some deeper philosophical thoughts. Is the competitive world of table tennis returning reviving right on front of our very eyes – or are there other forces pushing from behind?

For the ever so truth-seeking and at times provocative eleven points blog this is gold stuff and for sure worth one or two investigations.  Could it be that we have to turn the clock some forty years back  to the time of friendship and thrown matches to find the source of some odd Chinese selections for the men’s and mixed doubles ?  - Or is it just (please pray) a sign that in these events two other double pairs were the best in the field?  Better leave that question open for a while.  But seeing the great competitor MA Lin completely off track in the men’s doubles final without even the simplest level of focus was scary to say the least.

The singles events have of course been different. Too much potential personal gain, pride and competitive spirit involved for the Chinese super stars. Full credit should also go to some of the challengers in the men’s singles with wonderful stuff thrown by Kenta MATSUDAIRA from Japan as well as from the Germans Patric BAUM and Timo BOLL.  Positive signs can also be seen in the sand if your circle include the top 16 or top 32 performers  with Omar ASSAR from EGYPT and Noshad ALAMANYIAN  coming in as living proof of  success by the  ITTF Global Junior Programme and the projects attached.

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The Women singles? Let’s agree that it is open for business, serious business! Could it be that we have a slight problem with national associations not really raising their level   , lack of quality   coaching, female athlete’s development – you name it   ! – When the most progress indeed is shown by some young athletes from Korea DPR?

But let us for a moment come back with some general reflections on this event; The World championships in Table Tennis 2013.  They have done well the organizers under the leadership of Michel Gadal and his staff to ride the big world championships elephant ( or as the ITTF Marketing guru Steve DAINTON pointed out  ; “Could it be a  Dinosaur ? !)  through the narrow streets of Paris. But then again here in France – and perhaps that is the beauty of this  country , the parties are all thrown magnificent  , staged with   small worries about the financial outcome . The system often has support filtering down from various levels of city , regional and the federal governments , leading you to believe that the existing mentality is something along the lines of  ;  ”someone else  will eventually  always pick up the tab”.

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Like always in France “le parti ” in Paris Omni sport was great – the crowds showing up in good numbers enjoying our sport presented the way it should be; in a modern stylish ,  entertaining format.  All that covered well for deficiencies  like some lower level of hotels and the cracks in the  transport system.

I have no idea how the accounting books will look like after this event. Win – loss – break even  ?  , or call it investment for the growth of our sport in France – it really doesn’t matter a day like this. Some of the ideas introduced, especially the country-wide MONDIAL PING Tour, are of great promotional quality , appealing in a very nice and humble way  to the important group of  casual Table Tennis  fans.  Another positive sign for the future of French table tennis was the many young fans populating the stands in the venue, many of them surely pulled in by the excellent Baby Ping programme

You see – Good ideas do work – in fact even the strongest army in the world will eventually ran out of steam trying to defeat them.

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That was some of the good stuff – now to the ugly part; Political infighting.

It is evident that the almost total collapse of European Table Tennis now is spilling over to the ITTF ranks and events. Stefano Bosi, the European president for seventeen years in a row,  made his choice to run for presidency   in the ITTF.  I am guessing that most presidential campaigns in the world of sport have some sort of rough agenda.

This time however the ugly play – the accusations made by a group of disgruntled outsiders made me sick to my stomach.  Did they ever , for a secod think about the sport itself  ?  Instead of attacking the ITTF President since fourteen years  in person – a man who in his very own way and with a strong sense leadership, on a volunteer basis , has given our sport a tremendous lift  ; They  should at the very minimum  have come with a program – suggestions on how to improve international table tennis , some  creative takes, and perhaps a  new model.

But no way – these guys and gals took the fight to the dark streets of Paris.  They launched a tiring and deflating  misguided  attack on  President Adham Sharara .  It was all about the Big P as in Politics and Personal gain-s – nothing to do with sports.  Commons sense in the end prevailed. Order must now be restored and European Table Tennis revolutionized .The time has come for a change  - let it be a BIG one .

Starting In Style

The six million Euro spectacle, smartly branded here in France as the Paris Ping is drawing nearer.  In fact, when the tournament management tomorrow morning unleashes what must be considered “organizational hell” ;  the  qualification events  organized in two venues far apart , we are underway with the 2013 Liebherr World Championships in Paris.  

One thing should be said right off the bat. Whatever they do” the French” –  it is done with class and in   style.  The opening press conference held yesterday night didn’t dilute from that concept either. The press gathering was perhaps on the smaller side with the well-known ITTF insiders leading the charge, but we all liked the venue – a lot. The organizing committee offered the Paris City Hall for a quick , but  unfortunately not very lively Q and A with some of the key “players” of the 2013 Liebherr World championships , including the defending world champions Zhang JIKE and Ding NING on the podium alongside with the ITTF President Adham Sharara and key officials from the organizing committee.

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The Director of the championships , Michel Gadal played his cards well and spoke about some of the challenges of riding the big “World championships Elephant” in the streets of Paris , whilst the former world champion, a  long-time friend , one time student of Gadal and now his business partner ; Jean Philippe Gatien told the media a few tidbits.

It was almost to the day twenty years ago that Jean Philippe Gatien won the singles title in Gothenburg, Sweden in hard fought match with Jean Michel Saive from Belgium who miraculously is still in the game and will play in Paris.

“We are preparing a special celebration of that moment. My dream was always to become the world champion at home and since we didn’t fix that during my active playing career – we now decided to make a replay of the match from twenty years ago here in Paris. By the way not the whole match – that would be too much for me these days – but hopefully we can offer smaller sample to the crowds of Bercy  Jean Philippe Gatien said smiling (probably thinking about the fixed nature of the re-match).

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With the ITTF President Adham Sharara in his famous “Paris thank you mode”  praising the efforts of the city of Paris and the French Association attention then turned to the present athletes and later the draw.

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As for the two Chinese rock-stars Zhang JIKE and Ding NING,  they both said – to be very honest not very much. Ding spoke about her form being good and that she felt perfectly alright with the playing conditions in Paris, Bercy.

Zhang on the other hand showed that lovely cocky side when he brushed away the fact that a relatively modest season has put him down to nr four on the world ranking list prior to this event. When asked about his lower seeding – nr four ,  Zhang grabbed the microphone , stared down at the chosen few  and said – and here I am using a  more of a free translation  ; Doesn’t matter at all who are the top seeds. What will count in the end is winning the matches you play regardless of who the opponent is.

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I have always been, happy to admit, a Zhang Jike fan. But in a way we all like the winners that are not afraid of adding the spice – showing their true colors and dare-s to be different. Zhang is one of these guys who can – and I am pretty sure will here in Paris play for the crowd. Perhaps we will not always see the spectacular shots – but I can assure you that we will see the raw emotions,  the power asserted by an athlete that I think has  the idea of growing his superstar status also in other markets – outside Asia.

Hey – what a good thing it would be for our sport to have that happen.  But then again I would put the word SPEAK ENGLISH highest on the agenda and nail it  to the wall in the secrest of all secret venues – The Chinese training center.  Maybe this generation will learn eventually? I am quite sure that key officials and the team management back I China realizes the urgent need of that to actually happen. At the same time it is up to the players – the athletes to ; JUST DO IT.

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The actual draw then took the center stage when the top sixteen seeds were officially inserted into the competition.  We – the fans is in for treat this time and it is evident that the players like to play I this magnificent Paris Bercy venue. 

All of the worthy are here to play – which is the good thing. The tough part is to fight for time and space with the four hundred plus others that will enter the world championships courts waiving the “We are ITTF family” flag. I don’t mind that to happen in the world team championships setting, much more suited for the ever present participation mentality in our sport.

But for the individual event – no thanks. Cut down – do it right and why not make a very, what I believe, healthy performance based connection between the two. 

If you perform well in world team championships – you receive a higher quota of individual entries and vice versa.  Such a system would also make perfect sense from a development point of view. In the teams you play a lot and you play all the time making that championship the perfect breeding ground for young players and national team progress.

But as always – that is a thing for the future and a thing for the board-room and higher command to decide.

Directing Traffic

North America Cup 2013 underway in Westchester, NY

It has been a long winter in Ottawa. Not only did the snow and the cold decide to be present much longer than normal, also other more life related things made this winter extremely testing. The Blogger is returning to his homeland Sweden with family and a surely to the last cubic foot filled container. If things proceed according to the plan and the property at 1588 Delia stands the test laid on by potential buyers, it is goodbye North America – hello Europe sometime this summer.

But we are obviously not there yet.  .Just explaining why the Eleven points truth-seeking blog has been quiet for a while now, that’s all.

 

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However  this  morning  the Table Tennis gods came calling for attention – knowing all well that “not right now” would have been the most likely answer.   But  , with Westchester county  north from New York City within driving distance from my home,  the old general’s desire  to draw into battle was awakened , just enough to  justify brushing up the  SAAB 93 for a quick three day road trip. Of course we have the professional angle too – High Performance progress and development in North America is one of the more interesting projects in my ITTF portfolio for the moment.

So..Early wakeup call it was. At 05.30 we were under way with my old friend “Mr. GPS Garmin”, alive and well. . This time I allowed him to take charge completely, and what a thoughtful and scenic ride he presented to his master.  It started off  with a smooth border crossing   in Cornwall and the route of choice didn’t disappoint either. The rugged landscape and the pure wilderness took my breath away as we cruised down through the New York State, often in splendid isolation.   He wanted obviously to show me Lake Placid, the Winter Olympic site in 1932 and also 1980.  The thought behind that move is now obvious; Garmin wanted me to touch the grounds that many years ago made me a believer in the ability to do what other people deem  the impossible. Who can ever forget the MIRACLE ON ICE, one of the biggest sporting sensations all time, forever edged in my memory?

Another brilliant pick  was the Taconic State Parkway which on top of being an extremely scenic route also showed me the Springwood Estate right on Hudson River in Hyde Park . This is the birthplace and home of the great Franklin D Roosevelt four times elected US President between 1933 and 1945   . His home is a now a natural historic site; http://www.nps.gov/hofr/index.htm

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All in all I had a seven plus hours of mostly smooth driving, a good selection of songs running on my IPod and good   time to think some Table Tennis.  Westchester home for the 2013 North American cup is by the way a bit of hidden gem , 47 minutes train ride from the central station in New York and therefore home to many commuting New Yorkers  .

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Part of the excitement of coming here is the positive energy surrounding our sport in North America for the moment.

It is important to try to understand the dynamics behind Table Tennis in North America. I believe that in depth understanding of the marketplace is an absolute key to any kind of successful input.

There are still many, many issues in need for some quick fixing. Organization and presentation of events is one point high on the agenda.  At the same time we have to recognize that things have changed for the better – especially when it comes to athletes’ development. Young players are, by the minute, taking up the sport of Table Tennis as their nr one choice.  We are talking the real stuff in terms of talent level – this is the nr one lesson in the process of understanding. The up and coming US players and a few Canadians here and there, the next generation of Hopes if you like, features ten – eleven year old extremely talented kids training hard under the guidance of   world class coaches.   If they keep going in this pace and if we as an international federation can show the correct level of excitement, gentle push and some support it will not take long before   Table Tennis fans all over the world can enjoy good and marketable athletes from this continent for a change.

If you do not trust  the blogger  , definitely  on record for being   the true believer in a better future,  then  you should have a chat with Long-time coach – USATT magazine editor –writer of numerous books on Table Tennis and science fiction , passionate Table Tennis fan  ; you name it ; Mr. Larry Hodges from Maryland TTC .

“I made presentation for the USATT board on junior development in 2006.  That year we had 8-10 full time training centers offering junior programs in the USA  . Today and I do keep track of them on my website http://tabletenniscoaching.com/ – we have 58 training centers with plenty of excellent coaches working seven days a week. The kids that now are coming up are excellent young players said Larry when I bumped in to him in the venue this morning”

Also in Canada the growth of Table Tennis is evident. 

“We cannot show the same numbers but the numbers of full time clubs are growing also north of the border. Only in Toronto we have gone from one to six clubs with good facilities only in a short period said the CEO of Canadian Table Tennis  Tony Kiesenhofer.

Nice stuff set up by the local organizers .

I am  not sure if the owner of the Westchester Table Tennis Center  – host of the 2013 North American cup  Mr. Willy Shortz can be counted in as one of the believers just yet.  Most likely he has been busy on the local scene setting up his club that moved into this fine facility only two years ago.  Interesting person by the way Willy Shortz,  who for over twenty years has been working as the puzzle and crossword editor for the NY Times.  50 000 monthly subscribers pay 49.95 in subscription fee to solve Willy’s riddles. On top of that he appears in seven minute national radio segment on puzzles each and every week with more than 3 million listeners. Learning lesson nr 2 ;  There are some interesting , very smart passionate individuals out there working hard to promote our sport. Willy is clearly one of them.

Last but not Least; First day of action in Westchester in summarized form;

• Both Crystal WANG and Amy WANG from the USA could be the best and most advanced female Hopes players we have seen in the program so far. They are not related by the way so  looking forward to see one of them in Vienna come June.
• Jeremy HAZIN is born in the year 2000 . He was a  member of the ITTF World Hopes Team last year  and clearly picked up a few stuff that he now tries to apply in competition . I can see the good focus – the intensity and overall he is just a breath of fresh air for the Canadian Table Tennis Association. This guy has the energy and the will to JUST do it.
• More from the” WANGY”  world of US table tennis… Timothy WANG came to play for the first time in a long time at this level and was aggressive from the start in his quarterfinal against the top seed Canadian  Pierre Luc Theriault . He won 3/0   and is through to the semifinals tomorrow ..
• I also like the sixteen year old Allan WANG from New Jersey – a lot. One of the youngest player in the field (mens singles). But IMO clearly the best if you count technical skills. Excellent modern backhand stroke is his best weapon. He came into this event as the substitute but showed no mercy and will also play tomorrow Sunday in the semis.
• Lily ZHANG or Ariel HSING  ? That’s the question for tomorrow afternoon!

The Wild and the Willing

Jorge HERRERA – deserves plenty of credit

You have to admit that the Guatemala experience, as a whole, is closer to the “wild walk of life” than a day in paradise. This country, with a population of close to fourteen million is offering a lot to its visitors.  Guatemala City, the capital since 1776 when the Spanish rulers decided to move from the demolished city of Antigua, is a rough and tough experience, not exactly the place for a relaxed evening walk.

Armed security is a common feature at restaurants and a careful look over the shoulder in each and every corner, especially at night, is highly recommended.  The city has grown in the last ten years to almost triple its size.  Traffic is often crazy and the number cars are way too many,   when families nowadays have not only one but three cars to play around with.  On top of that you can have various civil actions from disgruntled groups not getting what they have been promised by the government. Travelling back from the well-organized  excursion to Antigua ( one hour drive from the capital)  our driver  and also the tour/guide for the day  reveals  a few  complains about the day to day  life in this country  .

“This morning the military did some kind of protest towards the government   for not fulfilling salary payments nor the latest  pension allocations and shut down the road for a couple of hours. Instead of one hour I was forced to sit in my car for more than four hours to reach Guatemala City – it’s quite tiring – next time it might be the farmers doing the same thing. But this is life here   he said.

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Central America is, for those not having the opportunity to make a visit just yet, a little bit like the beauty and the beast.   The scenery can wipe you away with beauty and of course those with access to sufficient funds are able to organize themselves quite well to live comfortably.  But to live,   work and to do business, and even more so   if you are involved in keeping sports alive, the best is to befriend the right people and accumulate a good dose of patience.

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The former president of the Latin American Union;  Miguel Angel Delgado ,   currently working as the Latin American sales rep for the Indian sporting goods manufacturer STAG,  is showing me the city during one of the lunch breaks .

“You have to know how to work the government in order to survive as a business person in a country like this.  Last year I did get a preliminary government order worth around 3 million dollars for soccer balls and other goods. They asked me to execute and basically promised to pay within one month of delivery. What do you do?! Of course I didn’t have that kind of money – so my option was to consider a loan from the bank. In the end I bailed out, knowing that you might not get the money, unless you are somehow private with the President of the country of course – then you are always good.  But you have to keep working. I often drive down for meetings and to   hang out at the government offices. I know most of these people by now and occasionally you are able to get some proper orders from them Miguel explains.

Politics is involved at all levels and you have to factor in that most likely the government in power will change when it is time for a new election. History will tell you that – no government has ever been re-elected in Guatemala. Promise and Delivery doesn’t always add up in countries like this.

More of the wild stuff.  From the mid-sixties all the way up to 1996 there was a state of civil war in Guatemala – the government fighting with the China / Russia and Cuban backed guerilla.  Nowadays the lefties have put down their weapons making their voice-s heard in the political boardrooms with little success.

Instead another and perhaps much more dangerous war is developing; the fight against drugs.  Many of the powerful drug cartels forced out of Mexico in the north and Colombia in the south is making Guatemala their new home. The situation is pretty bad with actual production now happening in the country. Only in January, according to Miguel, close to 300 people have been killed in mostly gang related encounters.

Having said all this ;  You travel back home with the beauty of this country   on your mind. With that I do not only refer to the scenic beauty and great ambience of Antigua – a world heritage site and once the capital of the Maya civilization – but more the impression based on the people you meet.  The 2012 ITTF GJC finals – obviously slotted in for January 2013 was a great event organized by a dedicated and passionate group of volunteers under the leadership of newly elected president Jorge Herrera and his group of executives.

Jorge ;  well educated, good job, smart and with firm hand on things,  pulled all the possible strings and delivered a great event with support of the government authorities.

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The catch-phrase; “Pasion For Guate” was plastered all over the walls in the 8000 seat Dome arena – and passion they showed.  In a time of  “complete spectators crises”  in Table Tennis – the ITTF GJC finals averaged three hundred spectators the first two days watching the group matches. For the final day close to six hundred people, many of them from the Table Tennis community of around 1000-1500 active players but also a number of outsiders came to watch what we had to offer.

The fun part;   They all loved it and so did the young players who really decided to play along – writing autographs and interacting with the crowd at several occasions.

Based on the interest ; Clearly ,  Table Tennis can grow in Guatemala and with Jorge and his team now getting things organized – it may  still take a few years – but we could see Guatemala back as a competitive force in Latin American table tennis again.

“We will try, our mandate is four years and we at least have a plan that we will try to execute. You know – not long ago Guatemala really had good players and we want to come back to that situation again Jorge Herrera says whilst showing us around in the association owned national training center with space for around twenty tables for training and sleeping arrangements for about thirty persons if needed. 

In a few weeks we will host the Central American Junior and Cadets and I am really interested in the Olympic Qualification for Rio 2016 as well.  The Guatemala Junior Open had 18 countries participating last year and we will again work hard to market our event when we travel to Paris said Jorge.

“We are also trying to organize our High Performance program and soon enough we will have a foreign coach / director here taking over some of the responsibilities. Since the start of last year we are also gathering our best talents in one place outside Guatemala City and they train there every day “

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In my mind the ITTF GJC finals – presented as a quality stand-alone event is here to stay. In the good hands of the ITTF Global Junior program director (or is he blessed with another title now?)  Mr. Raul Calin this event can only grow in importance.  The perfect size (16 + 16) and format of this event   can also open the doors to much needed new markets for our sport. What we have to do now is to start marketing the importance of the ITTF Global Junior Program and the circuit as a quality springboard to excellence again. We used to do that with good success in the beginning, but with the passing of time and the introduction of the U 21 singles connected to the ITTF Pro Tour many top juniors are these days taking a pass on the Junior Circuit.

You can always argue both right – left and center when it comes to the importance for young athletes to play on the Global Junior Circuit.  In my mind more of them should and one thing that coaches have to remember is the crucial importance of finding situations and events when the rare but delicious dish called “learning to win” is on the menu.

The perfect example of that theory was unravelled right in front of our yes in Guatemala when the Portuguese left-hander Joao GERALDO finally made something good out of his, by now well documented, talent level.  It was not enough to win this event – but young Geraldo made his supporters proud by playing aggressive and entertaining table tennis from start to almost finish. The final three games ( -1,-1 and -4 !!)   in the final match against Morizono from Japan was unfortunately a bit on the ugly side – but aside from that the lone European male player in this event came to play this time – and that’s what you want to see.

The Junior Girls singles event, turned out to be, not surprisingly, an all Singaporean affair. The comfortable winner was ZHOU Yihan  – a seventeen year old technically well-schooled athlete , holding a Chinese passport but currently representing   Singapore .You have to wonder here , considering the two flags attached to her name , when she will appear in championships play ? . It might in fact take a while as ZHOU not yet is appearing on the ITTF site as registered for her new country. Could be an STTA rare oversight of course – or perhaps the aim is to unleash ZHOU as a candidate for the Olympic Games in Rio by then with a freshly printed Singaporean passport in her pocket?

Nevertheless. I would hope that Singapore – quickly can find a model that works also for producing top athletes from the ground and  up. Good thing is that they were the first one to active the ITTF Hopes flag this year – maybe things are improving after all. We need more countries making an effort to have a good female team – that’s for sure.

Two athletes deserve honorable mentioning-s from Guatemala. The Egyptian nr one female player Dina MESHREF  was the only player in the field that was able to put a bit of a scare in ZHOU Yihan . Dina played a strong event and clearly masters a skill not often associated with female junior players; Tactical Play.

The next award, more of the encouraging nature, goes to the former ITTF World Hopes Team member (2010), fifteen year old HUNG Ka Tak from Hong Kong.  He was the most active player in the world last, year recording 176 registered ranking matches. In Guatemala he played an excellent event and was ever so close to advancing passed the quarterfinals which would have been an outstanding result for such a young player.  The young boy is maturing by the minute and will next take a run at the Youth Olympic Games qualification starting in June.  Let’s hope that the supporters surrounding Hung Ka Tak also goes through some of that maturing process. International participation – at all levels – does come with certain responsibilities after all.

 

Star for a Day or Two ?!

Joaa GERALDO from Portugal will go up against Eric JOUTI from Brazil in the quarterfinal

We are many presumed experts on European Table Tennis, who have been waiting for something good to come from the now seventeen year old Joaa GERALDO from Portugal.

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I remember him well from the first time I saw him. It was in Prague 2009 – the last European Youth Championships that I attended and we were all talking in the stands.  One of the biggest clubs in Europe, mighty LIEBHERR Ochsenhausen with General Manager Reiner IHLE on site, also sensed the promise of quick and rapid success for the young cadet boy from the city of Mirandela, located in Northern Portugal.

But, like many European players these days, it has been slow cooking for Geraldo who so far in his career  has done very few good results on the international scene. One of the reasons is of course an international planning that only included, in 2012, three ITTF GJC events and ZERO ITTF Pro events. The Portuguese left-hander is currently ranked 526  in the world and his resume of wins and losses ,  does not exactly scare any opponents out there.

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Here in Guatemala City however he is finally showing some progress. Fuelled by a good, aggressive  start against the nr ¾ seed XIN Zhaoxu from Singapore ,  Geraldo went on to win his group and advance to the quarterfinals where he will face the Brazilian Eric JOUTI for a place on the podium.

From a pure playing / excellence point of view there are still many things missing in his game – much to correct if the ambition is to make a move in the last year as a junior. You can still see those boyish immature decisions coming   time after time. When the necessary cool and collected tactical sense should prevail the lefthander from Mirandela often goes with risk and speed instead of placements in his attacks. Another area to work on is definitely the returning of service. Here the young talent would need to change a thing or two.

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The scary part is of course that the Joaa GERALDO is the ONLY (with big letters) European player making this event a priority.  Clearly the forecast calls for severe pain in the future should such a trend continue in European Table Tennis. After all we have, playing here in the finals a number of good – but not unbeatable Asian Juniors.  In fact the perfect raw meet for many hungry and eager European players . Never underestimate the noble art of winning something at this stage of your career. It can very well be the confidence booster needed to reach the next level.

Joaa GERALDO meeting some of his newly acquired fans in Guatemala City.

Another important thing not to underestimate with the GJC finals is the thrill of being the star for a day or two. – This event works perfectly in small  markets  – where the sport of Table Tennis still is spelled with small letters  – no doubt about that one .

EL DOMO

Aly GHALLAB from Egypt still in it after the first day o f action in Guatemala City

I cannot let go with the fact this arena – located a stone throw from downtown Guatemala City once was the home of the Bulls fighting for their life. During a day or two I have by now wandered the corridors where the bulls where brought up in front of I am guessing a full house. The dome – to use a more English expression was also the home of the world championships in futsal back in 2006. I think that Brazil played in the finals against whom?   I have no idea and neither have the locals here.

So here we are , putting up the very first stand-alone ITTF GJC finals and so far things are all good. We are passed the first day of action without having much more problems than a rather cool breeze lowering the temperature in El Domo making life just a little bit less comfortable for the athletes and the outsiders.

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Result wise still too early to draw any kind of conclusions worth writing about. I liked what I saw from Joaa GERALDO – the for many year highly touted Portuguese and  one of only two European male juniors competing here (how did that happen?).  The Canadian hope CHEN Hongtao also looked sharp and more important confident in his two  opening matches. Especially important was the 4/3 win against Eric JOUTI from Brazil – who for sure has made the travel to Guatemala with high ambitions.

Another two favorites destined to do well is the left-handed LEE Shia Sheng from Chinese Taipei and Morizono from Japan –  both players did perform up to expectations in day one of the GJC finals.

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In the Junior Girls competition we have, in terms of results, after day one pretty much what we expected. The toughest match was between Dina MESHREF from Egypt and LI Ching Wan from Hong Kong which ended with a 4/3 win for the Asian representative.

Trying To Move On

Hung Ka Tak from Hong Kong – the only player to play both in all three major junior events this year – Cadet Challenge – WJTTC and now in Guatemala City

For the moment I have the American singer/songwriter Justin Townes Earle firmly parked at the top of my personal playlist. Discovered him shortly before Christmas and still enjoying (very much) a nice selection of soul-searching songs often touching on a somehow troubled life.

The best song, in my opinion, is the last one coming at you on the terrific disc called “Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel about Me Now “.   The laid back, bluesy piece is called “Movin On” and  “discusses“ the daily grind of    waking up each day and not knowing what will come next.  It’s about searching the meaning of life, trying to live up to expectations and stand up to yourself and your thoughts.  “I am trying to move on – trying to move on “  Justin Townes Earle tells us. All in all it is four minutes and forty two seconds of very well produced music – a nice reflection on the thing we call “living”.

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I have no idea if my new friend Mr. Earle ever been to  Guatemala City   . But what I do know,  is that some thirty-two young promising table tennis athletes will be there soon enough to compete for honor – pride and smaller chunk of cash in the ITTF Junior Circuit finals. Most of them, and here comes the connection with the art of  Earle’s music, are trying to Move On, to reach the next level and not get lost in the often difficult transition between life as a successful junior player and the hard grind just to survive a day or two in the professional ranks.

Judging on the level of the young junior players getting ready for action down in Central America, there might be some hard living around the corner  for almost all of them.  Until now,  very few of these juniors,  have proven themselves as the winner against – let’s say top 100 players in the world – which would be the first benchmark to look for in a successful professional career.. But then again, as we all know, the future and the future alone is harbouring the answers to the question-s ; Who will make it and Who will break it?!.

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In my mind however the opportunity is what eventually will make the player. Most of the players in this year’s field are not separated by that much from a technical or tactical point of view. The main difference is instead spelled  CONFIDENCE ( please use BIG Letters)  and the ability to prepare , and   I don’t mean necessary tough and long training camps,  but also the crucial happenings when you are on the clock and in competition.

The selection of youngsters in the lineup have earned their spots in the finals by picking up points on the steadily growing ITTF Junior Circuit.  For some reason or the other, many of the top ten junior players in the world – not all of them – but some (coaches too)  - does not seem to feel that playing on the circuit is the right thing to do for their development. In most cases these players are setting their sights on the ITTF World Tour or other Pro events offered by the ITTF.  I understand the thoughts behind and I do understand also the fundamental reasoning by coaches and national associations.. But I want to say this – never underestimate the importance of winning something. The bare facts are clear enough in my mind; The most important factor for developing young athletes is self-confidence. All in all it makes me believe that it is good to play and it is good to try to win whatever is thrown at you as a young emerging athlete.

The 2012 ITTF Junior Circuit Finals (played in 2013) marks the first time ever that this event is standing alone on the calendar.  I remember when we held the first final in Sweden 2002, attached to the Pro Tour finals and I remember when we decided to merge with the ITTF World Cadet Challenge, which happened the year after 2003 in Genting, Malaysia.

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Many – many excellent players have passed through over the years.  Purely from a personal point of view I enjoyed the event in 2005 held in Santo Domingo – Dominican Republic when Jun MIZUTANI took one of his first major title and Elizabeta SAMARA surprisingly came through to win the Junior girls singles. Etched in memory is Jun MIZUTANI relaxing on then hotel beach – a stone throw away from the loud farewell party. He was well stretched out on one of the beach chairs, quietly enjoying the moment of victory, just looking at the many stars above.  I remember even writing a piece about it for the ITTF website – a star was born in that event and we all knew it.

Having the junior final presented as an attractive standalone event– both to organize well and to have the best juniors compete,  will be a true challenge for the ITTF competition department. We will however get a very good feeling from the event in Guatemala as experience counts more than anything. I am pretty convinced that the Guatemala Table Tennis Association and the other supporting bodies will treat the players – coaches and officials with the outmost of respect and dignity.  And, how can It really go wrong with Jorge Herrera as the go to guy and with our own organizational wizard; ITTF Competition Director Raul Calin at the helm ?

Let’s just go back to the movers and the shakers for a quick moment. I do find the junior girls’ competition from a quality point of view a bit stronger than the Boys singles with a solid entry from some key juniors. Both Singaporeans ; ZHOU Yihan bagging three wins on the circuit this year and the defensive LI Isabelle Siyun should stand good chances to compete for the win  with the Japanese Rika SUZUKI and the always “entertaining to watch”  Bernadette SZOCS  from Romania checking in as the two outsiders. From a development point of view it will also be extremely interesting to watch both Dina MESHREF from Egypt and Carolyn CORDERO from Puerto Rico take a run at the better players  in Guatemala City , both players are certainly capable enough to pull an upset or two out of the hat.

The Boys event seems wide open.  It would not surprise me however if the JC  title also this time is snapped up by an athlete from the Chinese Taipei association. The left-handed LEE Chia-Sheng is in that case the player to look out for, but we will have  challenges thrown from many players in the field.  One of them is most certainly the gifted defender from Korea KANG Minho and others include the youngest player in the boys field ; HUNG Ka TaK from Hong Kong who is competing stronger than ever in his very young junior career.. In fact Hung Ka Tak is born 1998 which gives him plenty of time to make a strong move in the future .

That’s pretty much it ;  I say next stop ;  Guatemala City. We shall ENJOY – we shall EVALUATE and we shall CELBRATE.

With the Future in Mind

 

Mikael Andersson