A determined Madhurika Patkar

2/9/2010
Soumyadeep Roy and Madhurika Patkar brought matters to an end in the table tennis events at the South Asia Games in the Bangladesh capital city of Dhaka on Tuesday 9th February 2010.

They captured the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles in all Indian finals.

Madhurikha Patkar, 22 years old, beat colleague Shamini Kumaresan in six games to clinch the Women’s Singles crown; whilst by a similar margin, 25 year old Soumyajit Roy defeated Amalraj Anthony.

Tamolwan Khetkuen looks suitably unimpressed by the physical exertions of Dejan Papic

2/8/2010
The International Tournament in memory of Janos Molnar over, it was time to relax for three members of the 2009 ITTF World Hopes Team in the Hungary city of Budapest.

It was a welcome break for the trio of Salma Khaled, Christos Christonof, Tamolwan Khetkuen and Team Manager, Zita Pidl but one member of the group was not happy.

Dejan Papic, the Head Coach for the ITTF World Hopes, had his eyes set on a practice session but Zita Pidl, a native of Budapest, had waved her magic wand and thwarted the tyrant’s efforts.

Marles Martins (far left) conducts a practical session in Piracicaba

2/8/2010
A native of Brazil, Marles Martins was very much the man who guided such players as Gustavo Tsuboi to international success and over the years he has been a regular expert, leading courses for the International Table Tennis Federation.

He has conducted ITTF Level One courses in many parts of the world but never in his own country.

However, that came to and end recently when from Tuesday 26th to Thursday 28th January 2010, he conducted such a course at the Fran Table Tennis Training Center.

Aleksey Yefremov (left) in discussion with Singapore coach, Tan Paey Fern (right)

2/8/2010
Staged from Saturday 6th to Monday 8th February 2010, a total of 38 players from five countries attended the ITTF Elite Training Camp in Egypt’s capital city of Cairo where Aleksey Yefremov of Belarus was the Head Coach.

Players from New Zealand, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana and Congo Democratic were present throughout, with Singapore attending the last two days and Moldova, the final day.

Several of the players had travelled from the ITTF Global Junior Circuit event in Bahrain to be present in Cairo.

Looking out from the Press Tribune in Yokohama; in Moscow three young journalist have this view

2/8/2010
The International Table Tennis Federation is pleased to offer three scholarships for young journalists to attend the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Moscow from Sunday 23rd to Sunday 30th May 2010.

It is a splendid opportunity for young journalists enabling them to increase their knowledge about table tennis and the work of the International Table Tennis Federation.

The closing date for applications is Monday 15th March 2010.

A trademark Polish backhand from Robert Floras, the top seed in Cairo

2/8/2010
Poland occupies the top Boys’ and Girls’ Singles seeded places at Egypt Junior Open, the second ITTF Junior Circuit tournament of the year, which commences in the country’s capital city of Cairo on Tuesday 9th February 2010.

Both 17 years old, Robert Floras and Magdalena Szczerkowska lead the field.

The two Polish teenagers are no strangers to life on the ITTF Junior Circuit and in ITTF Global Junior Programme events; both are comparatively seasoned campaigners.

Madhurikha Patkar (left) and Amalraj Anthony (right) en route to gold in Dhaka

2/8/2010
One day to go but one fact is confirmed in the table tennis events at the South Asia Games currently being staged in the Bangladesh capital city of Dhaka; when play concludes on Tuesday 9th February 2010, it will be a clean sweep of titles for India.

On Monday 8th February, they secured gold in the Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles events; whilst in the Men’s and Women’s Singles competitions their players emerged successful at the semi-final stage.