Paul Drinkhall’s immediate goal is success at the ITTF World Junior
Championships in Spain’s capital city, Madrid which start on Saturday
6th December 2008.
The longer term goal is to be on duty for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
However,
table tennis might be one of the sports to suffer financial cuts in
Great Britain’s Team Budget for London 2012; the funding for nine
sports has been delayed until January 2009.
Table tennis one of them.
It is a time of concern for Alex
Murdoch, the Chairman of the English Table Tennis Association and Steen
Kyst Hansen, the Performance Director.
Notable Strides
The news comes at a time when table tennis in Great Britain is making notable strides.
After
the retirement of the likes of Desmond Douglas, Alan Cooke, Carl Prean,
Lisa Lomas and Alison Broe from the international arena, English
fortunes suffered a lull.
UK Sport
However, in the past twelve months there has been success, tremendous success.
Backing
from UK Sport, the agency that funds Olympic and Paralympic sport in
the country, has been received since 2006; a total of £2.5m (out of an
overall 2005-2009 Team Great Britain budget of £265m).
It has been a contributory factor for recent success.
European Youth Championships
At
the recent European Youth Championships England gained unprecedented
success with Paul Drinkhall winning the Boys’ Singles title and Gavin
Evans, the Cadet Boys’ Singles crown.
Both must be contenders for places in the British Team for 2012.
Evergrande Real Estate World Team Championships
Also,
let’s not forget the women; Kelly Sibley and Joanna Parker excelled at
the Evergrande Real Estate World Team Championships in Guangzhou in
February this year.
Led by non playing captain, Alan Cooke and
with young Emma Vickers completing the team they finished in top place
in Division One.
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Don’t
forget the ladies and don’t forget players who are not from England;
for the layman Great Britain basically comprises England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
Regulars on the ITTF Pro Tour are Scotland’s Gavin Rumgay and the Welsh duo of Adam Robertson and Naomi Owen.
All deserve support; all deserve a chance to compete in the great sporting spectacle of all.
National Training Centre
Progress
has been made, a national training centre is in operation in Sheffield
and that has had a major influence on matters; it has helped Great
Britain move forward.
In 2012 "Table Tennis Comes Home", back to
the country of its birth; four years hence the likes of Paul Drinkhall
and co. will have matured immensely, in London they can thrill the
crowds and with right support who knows what might happen.
Better Results
Furthermore,
since major United Kingdom funding has been available since 2006, the
results gained by British players have undoubtedly improved; the
coaches and players have proved the worth of such support.
They deserve the funding to continue.
Tough Goal for All
A
British medal in table tennis will be tough to achieve in 2012 but it
is the same for every country participating in the Olympic Games.
Nothing in the elite sporting arena comes easily but without the right support it becomes impossible.
Source: www.ittf.com
