Kaka Lawson with a successful student at the Olympic Solidarity Course on Morocco

Togo’s Kaka Lawson was the coach on duty at the Olympic Solidarity course held in Morocco from 1st to 7th July 2006, where the subject matter for the programme was the ITTF Level One Coaching Course.

A population of over thirty million, Morocco is situated between Algeria and Western Sahara in Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.


It is a country that has endured political changes. Gradual reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a legislature, which first met in 1997; parliamentary elections were held for the second time in September 2002 and municipal elections took place in September 2003.

Former Champions
“The Executive Committee of the Royal Moroccan Table Tennis Federation is made up of thirteen members, some of whom are former champions including Bouzza Fadc Allah, the President and Kiah Mohammed, the national coach”, explained Kaka Lawson. “The federation has five leagues comprising forty-six clubs with a top national division having eight teams, the remaining leagues are organised on a regional basis; furthermore, there is an annual national championship with events for both men and women.”

Undoubtedly the national federation is active and is clearly keen to approve its status in the table tennis world. “The broad objective in Morocco is to further develop the national training centre where the major sports including football and athletics can meet”, said Kaka Lawson. A national training centre is vital in raising standards and if table tennis can gain in status and become established in the national centre then the sport will grow.

Good Conditions
“The training course itself proceeded under perfect working conditions in the Institute of the sports Moulay Rachid”, explained Kaka Lawson. “There were six tables in a room which could contain sixteen; some four hundred balls were used with twelve men and five women attending the course.”

Increasing participation in table tennis as well as achieving excellence is a major target of the national federation in Morocco and with the former goal in mind, course members had been briefed on what to expect. “The majority of the trainees were attending their first training course and all showed the potential to become good coaches”, said Kaka Lawson, who was most impressed by the excellent working conditions and the dynamic approach of the national federation.

Goal
“The development of the table tennis is a major goal for the federation which is well organised and prepares its players thoroughly for major competitions”, added Kaka Lawson. “It is without any doubt one of the best structured federations in Africa, it has the support of the National Olympic Committee, the task now is to develop more local sports structures in order that table tennis can grow in every part of the country.”

Successful
No doubt as a result of the course the sport of table tennis can be furthered in Morocco; the programme followed in the country’s capital, Rabat, under the direction of Kaka Lawson had been well received.

Members departed in an enthusiastic and once again the ITTF Development Programme had met with great success.