Table Tennis News and Reviews

England squads announced for World Team Championships in Tokyo (Press Release)

ttfan — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:48:15 +0000

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England’s men and women target return to top tier of world game

England squad announced for World Team Championships

National champions Liam Pitchford and Joanna Drinkhall to spearhead challenge in Tokyo

The England squads for the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan (April 28 - May 5, 2014) have been announced following the completion of the Senior National Championships.

England’s men and women will once again travel in the hope of securing a long sought-after promotion to the Championships Division to return to the top tier of world table tennis for the first time this century.

Men’s no. 1 and now two-time English National Champion, 20-year-old Liam Pitchford, will lead the challenge following his successful campaign in Sheffield last weekend. He’ll be supported by 31-year-old Andrew Baggaley, 24-year-old Paul Drinkhall and 18-year-old Sam Walker in the four-man squad.

The women’s no. 1 and 2, Kelly Sibley and Joanna Drinkhall, for so long unseperable at international level, will once again lead the charge for success in the Challenge Division of the women’s team event. Sibley, 25, and Drinkhall, 26, will be joined by 22-year-old Hannah Hicks and 15-year-old Tin-Tin Ho.

At the last team world championships, held in Dortmund (GER) 2012, neither the men nor women could earn a place at the highest level. The men came the closest and only missed out following a 3-2 defeat to India, while the women suffered at the hands of Italy and India in the group stages to cut short their campaign.

The World Team Table Tennis Championships will also act as the last major event begin considered before the final squads for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014 are announced. A team promotion in Tokyo could have positive ramifications for a place in the squad for Scotland in the summer.

2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships - Tokyo, Japan (April 28 - May 5, 2014)
England Squads
Men:
Liam Pitchford (Chesterfield), Andrew Baggaley (Milton Keynes), Paul Drinkhall (Loftus, Cleveland) and Sam Walker (Worksop).
Women:
Kelly Sibley (Leamington Spa), Joanna Drinkhall (Chertsey), Tin-Tin Ho (Paddington, London) and Hannah Hicks (Andover).

Editors Notes

English Table Tennis Association
The English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) is the governing body of table tennis in England, responsible for representing, coordinating, administering, regulating, promoting, marketing and developing the sport. Some 2.4 million people play table tennis within the UK (British Market Research Bureau).

Virtual Press Office
The ETTA Virtual Press Office is an online resource for members of the press to access assets and information to aid the journalistic process.

Additional Information
Please contact the ETTA Communications team for any further requirements:

Paul Stimpson - Senior Communications Officer pstimpson@etta.co.uk
Russell Moore - Communications Officer russell.moore@etta.co.uk

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New Chair of the English Table Tennis Association (Press Release)

ttfan — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:01:19 +0000

Sandra Deaton has been appointed the first female Chair of the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA). Sandra was the unopposed candidate in the election which was required after the death of the previous Chairman, Andy Seward, in January 2014.

Sandra held the position of Vice Chairman of Performance and Selection in the current Board of the ETTA and had responsibility for the elite athletes in the sport. She takes over the role of Chair at a time when the ETTA and English table tennis are in the middle of restructuring and reorganising itself following a independent review and a warning from its financial supporters, Sport England.

Twelve months ago, the ETTA had effectively been put on notice to make changes. That process was undertaken by the previous Chairman and his new Board of which Sandra was a key member. She sees her task as continuing that work.

Sandra Deaton said: “Last year I was pleased to be part of the new Board of the ETTA and shared the vision of our late Chairman. I know that we are on the right track to make table tennis a sport fit for the 21st century.

“Sport England has recently endorsed our work so far by awarding a further tranche of funding. I am now committed to ensuring that table tennis can be enjoyed at a social level by all ages, at a competitive level in leagues and clubs around the country, that our current elite athletes receive the best opportunities to compete internationally and that we identify and nurture our talent for the future.

“It is not going to happen overnight, but I am sure that we are on the right road to deliver these objectives.”

2013/14 Senior National Championships (Photo)

ttfan — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 15:28:09 +0000

Selected pictures from the 2013/14 Senior English National Table Tennis Championships (Ponds Forge, Feb 28 - Mar 2, 2014) courtesy of Steve Parkin Photography.

More photographs are available on request to admin@etta.co.uk

2013/14 National Championships Press Pack (Document)

ttfan — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:43:52 +0000

Press Pack for the 2013/14 English Senior National Table Tennis Championships at Ponds Forge, Sheffield (28 Feb - 2 Mar, 2014).

Includes; history of the sport, player profiles, previous winners, draw and selected photographs.

New senior management team at ETTA (Press Release)

ttfan — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:24:51 +0000

New senior management team at English Table Tennis Association

The English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) has created and appointed a new senior management team following a major restructuring of the organisation and the sport.

A year ago, the ETTA was put on notice by its funding body, Sport England, to make significant changes to its own governance and its management of table tennis in England. Since then a new Board has been elected, which has set about implementing change.

A significant part of this was the restructuring of the ETTA with the creation of four new departments with new senior managers to oversee and co-ordinate their responsibilities. Most of these appointments have now been made.

Last month, Sport England gave a vote of confidence to the new direction of the ETTA when it announced a further tranche of funding, giving some security to build for the future.

This also co-incides with the news that Sara Sutcliffe who has been acting as interim Chief Executive Officer has accepted the offer from the Board to stay as the permanent CEO.

Sara Sutcliffe, Chief Executive of the ETTA said: “I am honoured to have been asked by the Board to take up the permanent role as Chief Executive of the ETTA. The last seven months have been an incredibly challenging time and I thank all the staff, the Board and the volunteers for their support.

“I look forward to leading the ETTA through this continued period of change. Sport England has provided the ETTA with some stability for the rest of the funding cycle but the pressure is not off, we must continue down this road to improve and innovate. I am very excited about the future for the ETTA and delighted to be welcoming a new senior team as well.”

The new four members of the Senior Management Team will take up their posts in March 2014 and will be based primarily in the new Head Office in Milton Keynes. They are:

Head of Coaching and Performance - Simon Mills.
Simon Mills is joining as Head of Coaching and Performance from British Triathlon where he is currently the Performance Pathway Manager (and previously the Performance Programme Manager). Before that he was Performance Director at Ski Racing New Zealand. He is a graduate from Loughborough University in PE and Sport Science.

Simon said: “I am very excited to be joining the ETTA and look forward to developing a sustainable high performance system and a culture of excellence that will propel English table tennis to the highest levels in sport.”

Head of Development – Emily St John.
Emily St John is joining as Head of Development from England Netball where she is currently National Development Manager, managing a regional network of 64 people. Emily is also on the Board of her local County Sports Partnership. Previously Emily was a tennis coach and a Development Officer at the LTA. She is a graduate from Sheffield Hallam in Sports Development and Coaching.

Emily said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the ETTA at this exciting time, to build on successful initiatives such as Ping and club based opportunities, whilst taking a customer focused approach to find innovative new ways to take this fantastic sport to the masses, getting more people regularly participating in table tennis”.

Head of Operations – Jonathan Bruck.
Jonathan Bruck is joining as Head of Operations from Sport England where he is currently Head of Business Improvement (Grants) and has held previous roles including Head of Education Capital and Deputy Regional Director. He is a graduate in Business Studies, Sports Science and PE and with a Masters in Recreation Management.

Jonathan said: “I am delighted and excited to be joining the ETTA and working in a sport and an organisation that has unprecedented potential and helping to achieve these ambitions.”

The recruitment process is still ongoing for the fourth senior management appointment, the Head of Marketing and Communications.

Notes to Editors
1. Details of the Sport England funding announcement are available here:
http://ettapressoffice.com/assets/response-to-sport-englands-announcement-on-the-future-of-table-tennis-funding

2. Sara Sutcliffe was appointed to the post of Interim Chief Executive Officer in July 2013. Sara came to the ETTA with extensive experience primarily within the sporting bodies including the British Olympic Association where she was Director of Legal and HR for almost 12 years.

3. The English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) is the governing body of table tennis in England, responsible for representing, coordinating, administering, regulating, promoting, marketing and developing the sport. Some 2.4 million people play table tennis within the UK (British Market Research Bureau).

For any further information or photographs please contact:

Susie Hughes, (Vice Chairman of Communications)
Email: shughes@etta.co.uk
Mobile: 07703 486276

ETTA Communications and Press Office: 01424 456222
http://ettapressoffice.com/

Response To Sport England’s Announcement On The Future Of Table Tennis Funding (Press Release)

ttfan — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 10:53:06 +0000

The English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) has been awarded a new tranche of funding by Sport England after it demonstrated that it had started the process of modernisation and change which was required.

A year ago the funding body withheld a significant amount of funds from the sport and only guaranteed a year - rather than four years - finance. The ETTA was one of only six sports who were effectively put on notice by Sport England to reform itself before further funds would be allocated to the sport.

ETTA’s new Chairman, Andy Seward, spearheaded the process of change by recruiting a new team and putting in place the foundations to create a table tennis national governing body, which was fit for the 21st century.

Today (January 23, 2014), table tennis and the ETTA received a vote of confidence from Sport England that it was back on the right track, as they announced future funding plans for the sport. This brings the security of a combination of three years funding for core costs and one year further investment in development and talent programmes, with the prospect of further funding if this progress continued.

ETTA’s CEO, Sara Sutcliffe welcomed the decision. She said: “This announcement gives us the security of being able to focus on longer term planning and not lurch from year to year in a financial vacuum.

“The past six months have been a major - and necessary - journey for the sport of table tennis. We reviewed every aspect of the way the sport was managed and operated. We knew that the future of table tennis in England depended on us getting it right - and getting it right first time.

“This announcement is a vote of confidence that we are on the right track. However, it is the start of a journey, not the end of it. Now we have some security to plan for the future and a clear mandate that we are on the right road.

” A tremendous amount of work and commitment from our staff, volunteers and Board members has taken place in the past six months. The foundation is in place for us to develop our sport at every level..from our top international players to our social players. “

The announcement was also tinged with sadness. The ETTA’s Chairman, Andy Seward, died suddenly last week. Sara paid tribute to his contribution. She added: “We all feel tremendous sadness that Andy is not here today to see the result of his considerable efforts.

” He had the vision for a new way of managing table tennis in England and did not shy away from making tough decisions for the good of the sport. Only a month ago, we made our presentation to Sport England, and at that time, Andy felt positive and excited about the future for table tennis. He knew when he took over the role, that there were targets and he wanted not just to hit them but to surpass them. Today is the evidence that he achieved that.

“Our job is now to continue to build on those plans and to continue to move table tennis forward.”

Editors Notes

1. Details of the Sport England funding announcement are available here:
http://www.sportengland.org/media/231668/review-of-one-year-sport-investments.pdf

2. Andy Seward died on January 15, 2014. Details of his obituary are here:
http://etta.co.uk/news/etta-chairman-andy-sewards-obituary/

English Table Tennis Association

The English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) is the governing body of table tennis in England, responsible for representing, coordinating, administering, regulating, promoting, marketing and developing the sport. Some 2.4 million people play table tennis within the UK (British Market Research Bureau).

Virtual Press Office

The ETTA Virtual Press Office is an online resource for members of the press to access assets and information to aid the journalistic process.

Additional Information

For any further information please contact:

Susie Hughes, Vice Chairman of Communications
Email: shughes@etta.co.uk
Mobile: 07703486276

Andy Seward, Chairman of the ETTA passed away (Press Release)

ttfan — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 09:55:09 +0000

It is with deep regret that the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) announces that its Chairman, Andy Seward, (69) has passed away suddenly (January 15, 2014).

Andy became Chairman of the ETTA following an election in early 2013 and took over the post in July 2013. His arrival co-incided with what was probably the most challenging time in the history of the sports national governing body.

The ETTA had failed to secure long-term funding from Sport England and an independent review had shown that the ETTA and the sport were in need of a radical overhaul.

Andy approached this task with dedication, determination and a commitment to ensure that table tennis was put firmly ‘back on the right course’. He set about making fundamental changes to the structure of the organisation; the administration of sport in the regions; the relocation of head office in a purpose-built central building; and introduced major changes to the governance of the sport.

Sara Sutcliffe, CEO of the ETTA, said: “In a short period of time as the ETTA Chairman, Andy made a major contribution to the future of English table tennis. He had a vision to make the sport and the ETTA, as its governing body, fit for the 21st century.

“To that end, he worked tirelessly and laid the foundation for the future. The sport of table tennis and the ETTA are indebted to him.

“He had spent a life time involved in table tennis as a player, umpire, volunteer and representative, but it is likely that the work he has achieved as Chairman of the ETTA will be his lasting legacy and of long-term benefit to the sport and all who participate in it.

“We are all deeply saddened to have lost a trusted friend and a valued colleague. It is now our responsibility to him to continue the work he was so passionate about and to ensure that his vision for the future of English table tennis becomes a reality.”

Editors Notes

Andy Seward

Andy graduated with an Honours Degree in Mathematics, Statistics and Computing, and was employed in the IT industry for more than 32 years. He played table tennis in various leagues around the country, including Wirral, Cheltenham and Mendip leagues and represented Somerset in the County Championships Veterans divisions on many occasions.

He held a number of voluntary positions within leagues and counties and was National Councillor for Wiltshire, prior to taking on the role of ETTA Chairman.

Andy qualified as ETTA national umpire in 1989, an ITTF international umpire in 1992, and achieved IU blue badge status in 2004. He officiated at Athens 2004 Olympic Games; and the World Championships in Manchester 1997, Osaka 2001, Paris 2003, Guangzhou 2008.

Andy lived with his family in Wiltshire.

English Table Tennis Association

Virtual Press Office

The ETTA Virtual Press Office is an online resource for members of the press to access assets and information to aid the journalistic process.

Additional Information

For any further information please contact:

Susie Hughes, Vice Chairman of Communications
Email: shughes@etta.co.uk
Mobile: 07703486276

Table Tennis participation in England has continued to rise (Press Release)

ttfan — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 13:57:26 +0000

The latest figures from Sport England this month show that table tennis participation in England has continued to rise.

Following the latest results of the Active People Survey 7 (Oct 12/13), English table tennis has recorded participation rises in both once a week and once a month statistics with nearly a quarter of a million people thought to be playing the game every month in England.

In the overall once a month figures (age 16+) participants of table tennis rose from APS 6 (Oct 11/12) 33,900 to 246,300, while there were also significant rises for the 16-25 age group (up 8,000 to 59,600) and the 26+ age group (up 25,900 to 186,700).

This progression can also be seen in the once a week figures where the overall statistics rose 11,300 to 110,100 participants – helped significantly by a 13,700 rise in participation from the 26+ age group.

Not just limited to able-bodied players, disability participation in England also continues to rise following the success of the Paralympics as both once a week (up 11,300) and once a month figures (up 33,900) display positive trends over the latest APS 12 month period.

There has also been a significant increase in participation in London as projects such as Ping! and the Jack Petchey Foundation Table Tennis competition have helped to boost once a month figures up by 18,000 to 62,700 active players.

English Table Tennis Association Chief Executive Sara Sutcliffe said: “We are pleased that the latest Active People Survey from Sport England supports what we know, that an increasing number of people are enjoying table tennis as a regular part of their physical activity.

“We look forward to introducing new initiatives in the next year to build on progress and get even more people across all ages and abilities playing our sport.”

Editors Notes

Virtual Press Office
The ETTA Virtual Press Office is an online resource for members of the press to access assets and information to aid the journalistic process.

Additional Information
Please contact the ETTA Communications team for any further requirements:

Communications and Press Office: 01424 456222

Russell Moore - Web Content and Performance Officer russell.moore@etta.co.uk
Adam Collins - Design and Digital Media Officer adam.collins@etta.co.uk
Paul Cornell - PR and Digital Media Officer paul.cornell@etta.co.uk

Major boost for table tennis with Talent Development Centres (Press Release)

ttfan — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 13:07:45 +0000

English table tennis will see a major boost in talent development with the launch of four development centres designed to highlight, develop and nurture new table tennis talent across England.

Funded by Sport England, these four talent development centres will operate as a partnership between the ETTA, local clubs and supported by partner organisations. The ETTA will employ a leading table tennis coach, tasked with the implementation of this ambitious talent development programme.

The implementation of this programme stems from an English Table Tennis Association review of the sports talent pathway in a search for future stars to challenge the likes of Liam Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall, and succeed on the world stage. This review has highlighted the need for a more robust system at the base of the pathway with high quality coaching and access to the right environment to develop talented players.

The programme aims to develop a squad of up to 20 players at each location, all aged under 14 years, increasing the quantity and quality of training available on a weekly basis to enable the young players to compete at the highest level internationally in the future. Each centre will be focussed around a central ‘hub’ club with a series of linked satellite clubs or sessions, providing a conveyor belt of talent and increasing competition within the programme. Strengthening the lower levels of the England Talent Pathway, this initiative will provide the sport with a stable foundation for the future.

The Head Coach and Talent Development Manager at the English Table Tennis Association Nick Jarvis said: “The sport has recognised that development centres are the way forward, Sport England has given us the opportunity to bring this to life. Full time, part time and volunteers working on a daily basis with a squad of players puts us in a position to have a continuous supply of players capable of beating the best. Talent ID will help to develop feeder squads increasing the pool of talent within the area. The future looks very bright.”

The first of these talent development centres will be situated across the major regions of England and are as follows; in the North venues will be based in Ormesby, Middlesbrough and at Sycamore in Nottingham with the third centre based in the South at BATTS in Harlow. There will also be a centre at Plymouth in the South West.

English Table Tennis Association CEO, Sara Sutcliffe said: “This a very exciting new programme and one which will develop the base of the English table tennis performance programme going forward”

“We believe that this is the most exciting initiative for many years and are delighted to partner the Association in investing in it. We have a strong ambition to produce another crop of England players and this will be a really important part of it.” Alan Ransome - Ormesby TDC Club

“BATTS are proud and excited to be involved at the outset with the ETTA initiative for talent development centres. This provides a blueprint and an opportunity to nurture young talent that can one day flourish on the international stage. We relish the challenge.” Neil Brierley - BATTS TDC

“We are privileged to have been chosen as one of the Talent Development Centres and are looking forward to developing a successful project, helping to produce future International stars for England.” Jason Ramage - Nottingham TDC

“We cannot understate what an amazing opportunity this will be for children playing table tennis in our area. The faith and investment that the ETTA has entrusted us with will be a massive boost to our sport and we hope we can deliver a successful performance, development and participation programme, the like of which has never been attempted in the Plymouth area” Kevin Buddell – Plymouth TDC

Editors Notes

Virtual Press Office
The ETTA Virtual Press Office is an online resource for members of the press to access assets and information to aid the journalistic process.

Additional Information
Please contact the ETTA Communications team for any further requirements:

England’s Sam Walker prepares to take on the worlds best (Press Release)

ttfan — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 11:51:55 +0000

England’s Sam Walker is preparing to take on the best young players in the world after his inclusion in the 2013 World Junior Championships, Rabat, Morocco (December 1-8^th).

The 18-year-old from Worksop has experienced a breakthrough year in his career after fine domestic and international performances and he hopes to end a successful 2013 in style with another positive appearance in Northern Africa.

Walker, who is the reigning English National Under-21 Champion, broke into the senior squad in dramatic fashion after reaching the semi-finals of the National Championships Men’s Singles and winning his first ITTF Tour title in Malta earlier this season.

Those results saw him selected for both the European Championships and European Youth Top Ten events, which proved to be an invaluable learning curve for the youngster.

He said: “It was great to play in them, both were fantastic experiences and had amazing atmospheres - especially the Europeans. In the team event at the Europeans we lost to Romania and didn’t get the promotion we wanted, which was disappointing but everyone is now more determined for the next time. I was satisfied with my own performance, especially in the singles.

“The Youth Top Ten was a tough tournament and if I could have won a couple of the tight matches I lost I could have been on the podium. But it is really nice to be recognised as one of the top junior players in Europe.”

Walker is one of several English players currently playing professionally in Germany where he has managed to develop his game with current club TTC Selingenstadt.

Playing in the Regionalliga, the German third division, he has established himself as a key component in the team and benefitted from being able to train with some of the world’s elite players.

Walker explained: “I’ve felt really confident in my German matches this year. I’m playing in the as the number one in my team and so far I’ve won 11 and only lost one and the team are fourth in the league.

“I’m training with the Bundesliga club TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau and its perfect for me. I’m playing with players like Andrej Gacina and Kaii Yoshida most days. They’re not only great to practice with but they’re always there giving tips and helping us all out. Gacina especially is a great role model for me and its fantastic to have someone like him in the hall for me to look up to.”

The World Junior Championships will give Walker the chance to end his junior career on a high and progress to taking on the senior world players on a regular basis. The 18-year-old has already improved his world ranking from 680^th to 338^th and he doesn’t think the step will be too far to reach the top players in the world.

Walker said: “I don’t think there’s a massive difference between my highest level and the top players level.

“I believe I can beat anyone on my day, I think the difference is the top players are more consistent in their level. I’ve just got to keep trying to play at that level all the time. I can see it in training and I’m training with top players day in day out, so I believe that I can be at that level too.

“It will be my last tournament as a junior player and obviously it would be really great to win medals. I will give 100% on trying to get as far as I can.”

You can follow Walker’s progress in Morocco via the English Table Tennis Association’s website and twitter feed @ETTAtabletennis or on the ITTF’s World Junior Championships tournament page.