Presentation time at the conclusion of the workshop |
11/5/2009
Subject to the approval of the delegates at the ITTF Annual General Meeting, to be held at the World Team Championships in Moscow from Sunday 23rd to Sunday 30th May 2010, Swaziland is set to become member 209 of the International Table Tennis Federation.
Sometimes referred to as Ngwane, Swaziliand is a landlocked country in southern Africa, bordered to the north, south, and west by South Africa and to the east by Mozambique.
Growth
"The ITTF Development Programme began in 1999 when the International Table Tennis Federation had 180 member countries”, said Glenn Tepper the ITTF Executive Director of Development Programmes. “It is then with great pride that we will welcome Anguilla as member 208 and Swaziland as member 209 in 2010, as our development activities spread to more diverse corners of the world."
Caribbean Courses
Certainly the ITTF Development Programme has reached the four corners of the world with Anguilla, situated in the Caribbean, being in an area that has seen a number of ITTF Level One Courses in recent months; notably some miles south in the Netherlands Antilles under the direction of Leandro Olvech.
Close co-operation with organisation in such small countries has brought success and will continue to bear fruit.
Contacting National Olympic Committees
"We are permanently contacting the countries with National Olympic Committees that are not members of the ITTF”, said Leandro Olvech. “Up to now there are just a few: Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Sao Tome-Principe, Tchad, Mozambique and Eritrea in Africa and Antigua-Barbuda, Bahamas, Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands who are not ITTF members but any contact from the table tennis family to bring them into the fold is most welcome so that expansion can continue.”
Executive Committee
Expansion is the word and within Swaziland the word might be explosion.
An Executive Committee comprising Dr. Gabriel C. Bwembya (President), Dave Bennett (Vice President), Mduduzi Dlamini (General Secretary), Armstrong Dlamini (Treasurer), Percy Zulu Tournament Organiser) plus Committee Members Musa Maseko and Vusi Mabilisa has been set up with Jennifer Martin-Mwelwa, a sports teacher at the Sifundzani High School) recently staging a two day table tennis workshop.
Workshop
Jennifer Martin-Mwelwa was assisted by Gabriel C. Bwembya, Davy Bennettand Percy Zulu; those present were given an introduction to the sport, the programme featuring an introduction to the sport, the laws of table tennis and coaching help.
A very positive approach and undoubtedly in 2010 both Anguilla and Swaziland will be welcomed to the family of the International Table Tennis Federation with open arms.
Members at the Table Tennis Workshop in Swaziland
Photo by Gabriel C. Bwembya
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