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 he,
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.”
Sandra’s involvement in table tennis as a volunteer has span a period of over 40 years with first hand experience in development at school, club and regional level. She has been involved with all levels of marketing and competition of the sport from local to national events. She was chair of the East Midland Region for over a decade and alongside her late husband an extensive sports promotion business with a client base of National and International companies. She also has personal experience of elite performance from beginners to international standard as her daughter was a several-times National Champion.
