by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Staged local under the auspices of the Karnataka Table Tennis Association in liaison with the Table Tennis Federation of India and TENVIC, an organization founded to make an impact on the lives of young people through sport, the course was conducted by Harpreet Singh Bamrah.
He was a member of the Richard McAfee led course and has been working for some eight years in the area as a coach.
“It is the long-term vision of Mr. Dhanraj Choudhary, Mr. M.P. Singh, General Secretary Table Tennis Federation of India and Mr. Upadhya, Secretary Karnataka Table Tennis Association, to bring together members of corporate organisations. I am sure members of the group will definitely be able to produce players from various states in India who will reach national and international level.” Harpreet Singh Bamrah
Two weekends were chosen in order for those who work in the information technology industry to attend. Bangalore is very much Silicon city.
“There is big need for certified coaches in various schools across India. The ITTF/PTT Level One Course has gained in popularity. The public is also becoming aware about benefits of coaching with certified coaches, there is a big possibility to include table tennis in the sport curriculum in schools. Now, with local Indian Course Conductors, it will become easier to get more people certified and meet the demands from schools.“ Ram Kumar, Karnataka Table Tennis Association
Notably, there are some 500 active table tennis players in the region who are members of academies. Many of these players have helped young players develop; now those who become qualified coaches have the opportunity to make an even greater impact.
“The unique collaboration between Karnataka Table Tennis Association in liaison with the Table Tennis Federation of India and TENVIC has contributed in various ways. Getting back the course to Bangalore with the help of an Indian Course Conductor is going to be a big boost in future also. “Vasanth Bharadwaj, former international table tennis player and co-Founder of TENVIC sports
Now thanks to the help locally of Mohan Kumar and all organisations concerned, a new chapter has started in Bangalore.
