Over 50 representatives from European National Associations have attended the first ever Table Tennis. For All. For Life. Forum hosted by the ITTF and ETTU during the STAG 2018 European Youth Championships in Cluj-Napoca Romania on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd July.
Presentations talk and panel discussions from ITTF senior staff and ETTU officials were held at the forum ranging rom the new ITTF Strategic Plan to the future of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships fan engagement professionalising National Associations and High Performance.
President of the European Table Tennis Union Ronald Kramer was pleased with how the forum unfolded:
“Тhe two-day meeting was very successful. Numerous representatives from many National associations seized the opportunity to meet and speak about the effects of the changes within the World Team Championships. There was a clear overview of the new strategic plan and the vision for the future of our sport. Those who attended heard many valued ideas and had the facility to ask relevant questions. All this will help our future development. Together with the ITTF we are heavily involved in matters that will help develop our sport. This forum proved a perfect place to exchange views on the developments and challenges for Europe.”
The forum had the goal of bringing together the expertise across Europe and learning from each other’s experiences to developing table tennis across all facets including commercial high performance and good governance. ITTF Vice President Petra SÖRLING stated:
“The first ever Table Tennis. For All. For Life. Forum achieved everything that the ITTF set out to achieve which was to enhance the ITTF relationship with all the European National Associations and to share with them ITTF’s new bold plans for the future to bring table tennis to the next level. We had great discussions with all the attendees and we learnt a lot about their challenges and how the ITTF can better assist them to achieve their goals. We look forward to continuing this forum concept and meeting all of our member associations.”
The Table Tennis. For All. For Life. forums will take place on every continent over the next 6-12 months with the goal of educating the continents and national associations on ITTF’s activities and sharing the experience of ITTF’s success. As well as to listen to the concerns of all our members and debate some of the new ideas with them. The next forum will be held in Costa Rica on 9-10 August 2018.
ITTF CEO Steve DAINTON outlined the importance of the first forum held in Cluj-Napoca especially following the big changes announced at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Championships in Halmstad.
“After Halmstad where many new and relatively large changes were made by the ITTF It was important for those who wanted to discuss further could. We were so pleased that at our first forum we had so many associations and so many fruitful discussions.”
