Is TT Media becoming Male Oriented?

So here's a question for you, how often do you read about women's table tennis or watch women's table tennis in comparison to men's? I for one confess to watching much more men's table tennis than women's but internationally we are facing a large problem, where are all the female players?! Here are my thoughts on the issues facing the sport and it's lacking X Chromosome :)

The stunning Biba Golic playing Killerspin League

Globally we face a huge problem with the promotion of table tennis, it is very muchly considered a minor sport and the bulk of player numbers are within China's population. To increase numbers there needs to be a lot more active media for table tennis and this is beginning to come through with forums, blogs and sites much like this one. The problem is all of these are biased and are largely focused on mens table tennis, many players prefer to watch the male game as the technical aspects seem to be more enjoyable to watch. Really though I enjoy watching women's table tennis a bit more sometimes as I find it captures more of the speed and agility of the game than the men's style.

The achievements of female players need to be publicised so that the image of our sport for female is one full of opportunities for success, they need role models and players to idolise just as male players do. Also I think nothing is really being done to promote the sport to the groups which are missing from the game, regional and national bodies should really be moving into profiling events to attract new players to the game. Also the majority proportion of table tennis coaches are male and this can have a negative impression upon young female players along with the high number of male players. Not many junior girl players would enjoy being the only girl in a club and I'm sure girls frequently get sick of playing mixed events when there is a lack of female entries.

A real problem for female players is that they tend to place a much greater emphasis upon the importance of their education, particularly in New Zealand we see a large number of female players leave the sport around the ages of 15-17 to pursue their academic studies as they find juggling table tennis and school too much of a hassle and don't see much of a future in the sport. The real thing table tennis needs is an incentive to balance it or at least put it on par with academic education but to achieve this is a long and arduous task for the ITTF.

The morale of the story is we need to get more female players involved one way or another, it's the key to attracting more players. More female players through role modelling and media coverage of opportunities for women's players and of course more males for a string of more obvious reasons :P

What makes the Chinese so Dominant?

This is my own personal opinion and observation on what makes the Chinese so dominant in our sport in this era of the game. Granted the Chinese have always been at or near the top of the sport but what are some of the main reasons for that. I prefer to take a political perspective on it, I think the most standout reason is simply because China is a communist nation with a massive population.

Victory for China becomes the Norm 

Communism, Population and Table Tennis

It's a simple combination which has lead to world dominance and is slowly leading China to excel in a large multitude of sports. Their athletes were born atheletes, born to train in their codes. This has led to a strong socialisation which is unique in asia of parents really pushing their children to succeed no matter what the sacrifice and we see that not just in sport but in education particularly also. There is such a massive population in China that when combined with this socialisation everything becomes highly competitive, the athletes adapt to become very self driven and strictly disciplined to train repetitively for long periods of time, this tends to be a point of difference from other places around the world where the emphasis is not so much upon technical perfection.

The communist slant is simple, the Chinese have avoided the simple fact that there is not enough money pumped into the sport. Talented players around the world are faced to sacrifice their sport for education and employment, this is the way of the western world and only the top most talented sports people are supported enough to chase their dreams. China is different, those born table tennis players are supported by the state, young children forfeit basic education in some cases to focus on developing their skills as elite table tennis players with packed day schedules of training to perfect technical strokes, footwork and improve agility around the table. There is a high use of multiball training for this purpose.

The simple truth is that with prize money like $50,000US for the World Cup winner Table Tennis lacks financial incentive for skilled players to commit to being professional players and lacks publicity as a competitive sport to attract numbers. China has a pool of over a billion people from which comes millions of table tennis players. From those huge numbers of players and with that training ethic and discipline it is no wonder the Chinese are able to produce the world's best players.

In order to compete with those players the rest of the world require a strong dedication to training, a desire as strong as the Chinese to succeed even if sacrifices are necessary. Starting young we need players to grow into the sport and continue to develop and be hungry for achievement and competition and to dedicate their time to playing table tennis. This requires financial incentive which is a major setback in the sport currently and also publicity, professional sportspeople want to be recognised for their efforts and successes!

So essentially those are the areas where China beats the rest of the world and of course some of those failings are in the global image of the game and its development as a sport. I think if Table Tennis took the same kind of marketing and financial framework approach as Tennis to build sponsors and spectators and then tap into television networks and have profile league events around the world then we would start to see greater income potential and then table tennis would offer a bit more staying power to athletes with talents which can be built to knock China off its perch.

Until then they are most welcome to sit there as each and every one of their athletes has worked tirelessly to achieve their successes!

Chinese Superleague 2010 Xu Xin v Chen Qi

Courtesy of TT Provider

Two Eras of Success in the Sport

Christine Little was a person that I was really looking forward to interviewing, having been at the 75th Jubilee of TTNZ in 2009 where she was inducted into the Hall of Fame I was driven to get a perspective on two very different eras of table tennis in Oceania from a player who had swiped up numerous titles in both of them. with 2 Oceania Championship Womens Titles, 3 NZ Open Titles and numerous Veteran event titles which she details in her career highlights. Chris is a very energetic and friendly table tennis player and it was a pleasure to read her responses to my questions. Hope you enjoy too!

Full Name: Christine Joy Little
Date Of Birth: 17 February 1957
Nation Represented: New Zealand and Australia
Highest World Ranking: n/a

Chris Little sporting a silver medal at the Australian Veteran Championships 2009 with 050 Mixed partner Craig Campbell.

Equipment Used?
Blade: Barry Griffiths – used to be Power Drive
FH Rubber: Sriver 2mm
BH Rubber: Sriver 2mm


Your Career

How long have you been playing table tennis for, when and how did you start?
I started playing TT at home around age 9 or 10 (with 5 siblings, sport was a great outlet and hobby) - first on the kitchen table then on a proper TT table – then at school and interschool competitions - then club TT - then state representative – then National rep.

Eugene Herman was a teacher at my high school in Adelaide and played with the students after school on certain days – this developed a TT culture our school which produced some fine players. He was a left-handed hard bat chopper who was extremely consistent and had the wicked ability to smash the loose ball. Everyone started with various points on the board before he would invariably catch up and win. A great way to challenge the players and a hard player to beat.

I moved to Melbourne for a year when I was 17 in order to practise and compete with the best players in Australia. My feeling was that you had to play against the better players in order to improve and hopefully, learn to win.

So for about 44 years with a 13 year break

from 1994 – 2007.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far?
Hard question – no ONE person, but collectively, all the amazing TT players (and a few coaches) competing simultaneously throughout my TT career. In particular: Neil Ward - great friend and practice partner, Murray Thompson - coach, Bill Oatey -first coach, Steve Knapp - awesome mixed doubles partner and cohort, Eric Rosario - introduced me to weight training in Melbourne, Malcolm Temperley - friend who had a tremendous love for the game, and my sister, Jenny - who used to halt the stop watch during footwork practice, whenever I collected the ball.

What was the highlight of your table tennis career?

Here are a few of them:

Past tense: playing my first Commonwealth and World Champs at age 17 and winning the Australian Open Singles the same year at 18.

Winning 2 consecutive Oceania Singles titles in 1978 and 1982, the second one as a Kiwi.

The 1985 NZ Open Singles title against Jan Morris – I lost the first game but after that won comfortably. Jan as a very successful and popular player in NZ but I had an 18-3 (or something close to this) win loss record against her and loved playing her.

The 1986 NZ Open Singles title against Ann Gyongyos which I won extremely comfortably and was playing some of my best table tennis ever.

Induction to the NZ TT Hall of Fame in 2009.

Chris' induction into the TTNZ Hall of Fame at TTNZ's 75th Jubilee Celebration, Whangarei, 2009.
Image Courtesy of TTNZ.

Veteran career:

Playing well enough to beat Annie Ramberg in the 050 singles final in Sydney in 2009 at the Aussie Vets.

She won the European 050 singles a couple of years earlier.

Winning 4 consecutive Over 50 singles titles at the NZ Vets from 2007-2010.

Winning 3 consecutive 0ver 50 singles titles at the Aussie Vets from 2007-2009.

Beating Mr Han and Tutty Tanfana in the NZ Vets 040 mixed doubles final in 2010 with partner Craig Campbell. Any win over Mr Han has got to be a TT career highlight.

Winning the 040 Aussie Vets doubles in 2010 with Sarah Sandley – we had won the NZ Open doubles back in 1987.

Playing for NZ as a veteran with some wonderful people as team mates – it’s been like a whole new TT career.

How do you feel the game has changed playing now from when you were younger? More specifically what is it do you think that allowed a higher standard of players in New Zealand in your era as a Senior Representative than those in our teams now?
It’s always tricky to compare TT of different eras – too many variables. Although, less female players now is a big factor and maybe there are more distractions in life these days. Less players means that people don’t have to climb up the ladder over time to (a) achieve results and (b) make teams. Thus, they’re representing their association or country, perhaps, much sooner than in the past.

I also think TT practice was something we all loved and we continuously challenged ourselves to improve. We were all very self-motivated.

Winter interclub in Auckland was great fun in the 80’s and travelling to the Nationals and the North Island champs was something we all looked forward to immensely. There was nowhere else we wanted to be and there was a great sense of fun involved, playing competitive TT.

Who has been your biggest rival out on the table since your career began?
Leanne Morrow in the early 70’s - but calling Li Chun Li a ‘rival’ in the late 80’s and early 90’s would be stretching the truth. I have beaten her only ever in doubles and mixed doubles and only on a very few occasions.

What do you feel is lacking in the sport as a female player? Basically, not enough girls/women playing TT.

For example, I played in an all-women’s TT interclub competition in Adelaide in the early 70’s – the depth of players was fantastic with a huge range of styles, including some excellent defenders.

Also the fact that many players only enter their own age group at competitive level and are often playing the same few opponents, but at different venues.

Who is your favourite international player and why?

Past tense: Liang Ko Liang – 1975 Calcutta Worlds - a Chinese superstar who could both defend and attack astoundingly well.

Present tense: William Henzell – such controlled TT economy, for maximum effect.


Off the Topic Questions
Who’s your favourite sportsperson of all time?
Three:
Andre Agassi – I’m a huge tennis fan.
Lance Armstrong – He da man!
Monica Seles – Before the knife in the back. Ouch.

Favourite food?
Sushi, falafel wraps, any kind of pasta.

What do you do when you aren't playing table tennis?
Primary school teacher, wife to Ray and mum to Jenny (14), film enthusiast, reading, tennis, music, hanging out with my family, Sudoku, Dutch Blitz, charades.

Dream Car
Jaguar XJS

Ideal holiday destination?
Exploring a new city – love to go to Barcelona, Rome, Dublin or San Francisco.

First thing you would do if you won $1million?
Pay off some debts, then book a holiday.

Your Team Mates

Who’s the funniest player in the training hall?
In the 80’s in Auckland, Don Tate was renowned for his one-liners while playing TT. For example, if someone playing against him luckily got both a net and an edge, his quick comment was: ‘Double feature!’

A very funny player.

Who trains the hardest in the training hall?
Past tense: Steve Knapp (3 times Aussie champ) trained smart and trained very, very hard. Barry Griffiths trained smart as well.

But training’s not the same as a veteran player.

Who’s the funniest team player?
Jan Morris (5 times NZ champ) was a fun and a funny team partner and doubles player. I loved having her as my team mate at the 1983 Commonwealth Champs and the Tokyo Worlds. Our team did great and we combined extremely well in the doubles matches and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She’s definitely one of my favourite team mates.

Left to Right: Colleen Aitchison, Jan Morris, Yvonne Fogarty, Christine Little at 75th Jubilee,2009.

Image Courtesy of TTNZ.

Who has the best nickname?
Malcolm Darroch was called the ‘Mosquito’ due to his persistent buzzing around the table, always coming after you, jumping around so energetically – like those pesky, annoying little mosquitoes on a summer’s night.

Malcolm played again at this year’s NZ Vets in Invercargill and won both the 040 and 050 singles so I guess he’s still got it.


And Lastly
Would you like to add one last tip, or an inspirational message for other table tennis players looking to succeed?

Be mentally flexible during matches - learn about other players by watching their games - be aware of your own TT strengths and limitations and develop your game accordingly - ALWAYS treat the game and everybody involved in it, with nothing but the utmost care and respect.

Enjoy your TT.

Thanks Chris, we hope to see your recovery and speedy return back out onto the tables soon!

The Man in the Driver Seat for Oceania Table Tennis

I was fortunate enough to snap up an opportunity to interview Oceania Development Officer Scott Houston after his recent success in organising the Oceania Cup event in Adelaide, Australia. I was interested to go behind the scenes with the development of Table Tennis in Oceania. Thanks again Scott, hope you readers enjoy!

Full Name: Scott Houston
Date of Birth: 10th May 1984
Nation Represented: Australia
Highest World Ranking: Not high enough!!

Scott Houston in his element at a high school in Wallis and Futuna

Equipment Used?
Blade: Donic Waldner Senso V1
FH Rubber: Donic Coppa Speed 2.1mm
BH Rubber: Donic JO Gold 2.0mm


Your Career

How long have you been playing table tennis for, when and how did you start?
I started to play when I was 14 years old through my local club. As time progressed I began to take table tennis more seriously and I got to a stage where I was training every day and looking to achieve goals. I stopped playing professionally at the end of 2008 when I was 24 years old as I started working as the Oceania Development Officer for ITTF-Oceania.

What was the highlight of your table tennis career as a player?
Winning the Oceania Championship in Men’s Doubles with Chamara Fernando in 2008 at the Oceania Championships in Tahiti.

What made you get involved in your current role as Oceania Development Officer?
The opportunity arose at the end of 2008 when the position became available. After being interviewed for the job I was told that I could have the job if I wanted it. At the time I was living in Austria where I was playing for a professional team, TI Sparkasse Innsbruck. I then had to make a decision as to what to do with my table tennis life – if I took the job I would effectively end my professional playing career and close the door on my aspirations of qualifying for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2012 Olympic Games. If I didn’t take the job I would effectively lose the chance to make a long term career out of table tennis. It was a very hard choice at the time, but I have never regretted taking up the role of Oceania Development Officer, I think it gives me a much greater chance to make an impact in the sport than what I would have otherwise had as an athlete.

We have seen the huge efforts you have put into organising our continental events, how rewarding has it been to see the hard work pay off?
When I started the role as Oceania Development Officer I didn’t really know what to expect. Fortunately though I have been lucky enough to be guided and mentored by Glenn Tepper, ITTF Executive Director of Development, for all the purely developmental work and by Steve Dainton, ITTF Marketing Director, for all the TV and marketing work. Both Glenn and Steve have showed me the ropes but also allowed me enough space to work on some ideas of my own. I think this combination has been the key to the expansion and growth that has been achieved over the past 2.5 years.

What do you think is vital for Oceania's development in the next year or two?
The LIEBHERR 2011 ITTF-Oceania Cup was just played in Adelaide, Australia at the end of July. This event set a new bench mark for the presentation and marketability of Oceania events. It is my belief that we must continue to strive to improve our events and provide the Oceania countries with opportunities to participate on the international stage. The next event will be the 2012 Oceania Olympic Qualification event and following this the 2012 ITTF-Oceania Championships and the 2012 ITTF-Oceania Cup.

On top of this the developing Oceania countries must look to continue to develop in all areas and the more established Oceania countries must look for ways to become more sustainable.

If all of the above can continue I believe that Oceania can begin to close the gaps with the other continents.

In your role you get to travel quite a bit, which has been your most enjoyable trip so far and do you have a favourite destination in Oceania?
I have been fortunate enough to travel to 21 out of 24 Oceania countries/territories to date. From the more developed Oceania countries/territories Guam would have to be my favourite and from the less developed countries/territories Kiribati is at the very top. One place that I haven’t had the chance to visit but is said to be amazing in Tuvalu, hopefully an opportunity will arise in the future either for work or holidays for me to go there.


Off the Topic Questions

Who’s your favourite sportsperson of all time?
Steve Waugh – he always performed at his best when the team needed it the most.

Favourite food?
Red hot pot from Sichuan province in China

What do you do when you aren't playing/working?
Relax with friends, watch movies, play other sports such as golf, cricket, 8-ball or 10 pin bowling.

Dream Car?
Honda S2000 or BNW M5

Ideal holiday destination?
Greek Islands or Bora Bora in French Polynesia

First thing you would do if you won $1million?
Upgrade my house and car


Your Team Mates (from your time playing)?
I was lucky enough to play professionally in Germany and Austria, and I also represented a team in China as well. Additionally I played 7 years in the South Australian Men’s Team, a few times in the Australian Men’s Team and a few times in the Australian Junior Teams as well. Out of all of the teams I have played for probably the most famous/well known player is William Henzell – we played in the South Australian Men’s Team every year at the Australian Championships.

Who’s the funniest player in the training hall?
When I was playing professionally in Austria we had a very good team spirit. We would always be laughing and having a good time before and after training, but we knew when to switch on when it was time for training as well.

Who trains the hardest in the training hall?William Henzell – he makes every ball count at all times. Another hard trainer is Krisztian Gardos (older brother of Austrian National Team Member Robert Gardos), he was in my club in Austria and always led by example.

Who’s the funniest team player?
Chamara Fernando always made us laugh with his intensity. There was never a dull moment when he was on the table.


And Lastly
Would you like to add one last tip, or an inspirational message for the Oceania Table Tennis Community?
We need each and every person to strive to improve all aspects of table tennis on a daily basis. The improvement of table tennis in Oceania can’t come from the ITTF or ITTF-Oceania alone – it has to come from each National Association, State/Province/District Association, Club, Coach, player, parent, and everyone else. If everyone is working towards a common goal one day I believe that an Oceania player can win a medal at the Olympic Games and World Championships.


Thanks for taking the time Scott, congratulations on your achievements so far in gaining a reputation as arguably the most enthusiastic and successful Oceania Development Officer there has ever been. Wish you all the best in carrying Oceania forwards!

Entertaining feedback from NZ's World Uni Games Team

I sent questions to each member of our 8 strong World University Games team. I asked them one serious and relevant question about their preparation and expectations for the games, and one fun question just to keep it casual. The team travel to Shenzhen, China for the games, the second largest event to the Olympics. They leave NZ on the 10th of August, we wish them the best of luck in their competition!

The Mens Team: Phillip Xiao, Ryan (Bin Bin) Zhu, Myles Collins, Aaron Gong
The Womens Team: Jenny Hung, Natalie Paterson, Armindeep Singh, Jessica Macaskill
Coaches/Team Managers: Li Chunli, Murray Finch

Armindeep:


This is your second World University Games representing New Zealand at Table Tennis, what experience have you had and how will it help you succeed in Shenzhen?

Well I know what to expect in terms of Table tennis standard, last time i spent a large amount of time on the side line watching as i was clearly the number four player. From watching I learnt a lot especially mental toughness, so I hope that will help me in china, also last time I was quite overwelmed by the whole event and probably didnt worry so much about my tt performances, it felt more like a learning expereince, but now I am more expereinced and feel like i need to preform really well :)

If you were lost in the jungle what one piece of table tennis gear would you want with you to help you survive and how would you use it?
A table which I could slowly burn as fire wood for warmth


Natalie:

This is, like all but one of the rest of your team, your first World University Games. As the event gets closer how are you feeling about the trip all round?
I am amazingly excited for the trip coming up! This is the 2nd biggest multisport event after the Olympics, so if I don't happen to make it to the Olympics, then this is it! I'm really looking forward to the NZ team atmosphere and all sports supporting one another. I guess I am a tad nervous as it is coming up so quickly, but I'm sure the others will be feeling the same :) I'm just looking forward to getting there and turning those nerves into fighting NZ spirit and determination!

Have you been trying to learn any Mandarin prior to your trip?

Lol good question! My intention was to learn key phrases prior to going away. That didn't quite happen! Karen Li taught us lots of different phrases while on our last trip and I can only remember a few! I figure that we are going away with others that speak Mandarin, so I think we will be all good! Also, we have to do something on the 12 hour flight over there!


Phillip:

You're the top ranked male player in New Zealand, essentially you are leading the team, how do you feel your level of skill will stack up at World Uni Games?

I'm really looking forward to playing in my first World University Games. From what I've heard the standard is pretty high and many of my friends from when I was a junior that I have played against from around the world will also be participating and they were top juniors in my age group. I'm confident that I will be able to compete and hopefully get some good wins. It is always difficult when you're chucked into the deep end because although many of the players are labelled are university students, most if not all of the better players are professionals that you would see playing on the Pro Tour or at the World Championships.

If you could choose one place in the world to change your identity and start a brand new life, where would it be?

I would love to be a movie star in China where all the girls love me! haha

NZ Number 1 Phillip Xiao 

Ryan:

You have been a top player in NZ from a very young age and have worked very hard throughout, how does it feel to achieve selection to the World Uni Games?

I feel great to be selected for the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen. It is a very prestigious competition and the second largest sporting event in the world to the Olympics. I've been competing internationally since I was 13 but I've never competed in a competition of this scale. China has a reputation for showing great extravagance when hosting big international events and I’m sure this event is no exception. I am very much looking forward to the experience.

Which is better, table tennis or texas holdem?

Hahah, I am indeed a big fan of texas holdem and poker games in general. luckily for me table tennis and poker are not mutually exclusive and I've found time to do both. However if I had to choose one over the other, it would be table tennis. In table tennis you can get more of a sweat going and, more importantly, there are more girls in table tennis than poker.

Auckland's Ryan Zhu taking on Mitchell Barker (NH) at Interclub

Photo Courtesy of Sarah Her-Lee

Myles:

Tell us what your training schedule has been like this year as a new member of the National Mens Training Squad? How will this help you achieve results in Shenzhen?
My training this year has been harder and more intense as there has been more expectation for greater quality training as I'm in the National squad. I have done several training sessions at 5.30am as well as some late night sessions so that my body is use to performing at tornaments whether it is morning, midday or night it is very important to have enough sleep to perform in training and at tournaments. To be able to produce quality in the training hall constantly is vital so that when I compete in Shenzhen I will be able to reproduce this quality and more in match play.

Will you be doing a haka at the World University Games?

hmmmm...well the first time I did a haka with the Cadet NZ Team was actually in China when I was 15, we were infront of a few hundred people, it didn't go too well alot of people laughed at us and it was quite possibly the most embarrasing moment in my life, but I was still proud! I haven't thought about doing one but I'm open to the possibility.


Jessica:

This has been a major goal of your's since moving to University in Waikato, what's it like to finally achieve that goal and how have you been preparing for the competition?
It feels pretty amazing to set a long-term goal and get to achieve it makes all the time and effort seem very worthwhile . I really look forward to the experience of the trip and can’t wait, it should be amazing! My preparation for the trip has involved the usual squad trainings(3-4 times week), as well as additional training sessions organised with members of the squad, as well as one on one sessions with one of Waikato's coaches Tom Liu.

On a scale of 1-5 how much will you miss driving round in your Suzuki Swift while you are away?

Oh it’s definitely a 5!! It’s heartbreaking to think for 2 whole weeks “speed-racer” won’t be getting to drag any kitted out Skylines on Auckland motorway, or even get out and about for a run around town, poor “speedy”.


Jenny Hung:

Being the more experienced member of your team, do you feel there is much more expectation on you to lead the team in Shenzhen? What are your goals for the tournament?

We don't have much pressure because all the teams there are really good. Being the underdogs, if we play well I think we will be able to cause some upsets, especially in the begining of the comp (wen every1s still jetlagged lol). My goal for the tournament....win some matches!!! I dont need any placings....jst good wins

Considering you've probably now watched all the new releases at the cinema what will you be doing in your spare time while in Shenzhen?

Gonna take the girls SHOPPING ofcourse...its their first time in china so we HAVE to go shopping.

Might go to theme parks if we have time too.


Aaron Gong:

You've been playing the sport for a while now and recently have really achieved some great results and selections and a different attitude to playing, tell us, where did the sudden motivation come from?

I always had the same attitude, its just i have been really lucky this year. I always try very hard to do my best because i know im not the most talented player.

If you were in a table tennis stadium and got attacked which would you choose as your weapon? 

A table tennis ball, a table tennis net (no posts) or a sheet of table tennis rubber.

lol........i would use my fist, why would I use the other stuff? they would obviously have no effect. :P