by Richard McAfee

In the finals, the combined Army-Thonburi University Team defeated the Central Sport Club by six matches to three in the best of nine match format. Playing for third place, the Thansuwan Club overcame the Police Club, also six-three.

Only its first year, the True Visions League provided more than 50 hours of national television coverage. It also offered an exciting and unique match format. Each team match consisted of nine individual matches combining senior men and women, along with junior and cadet, boys and girls. Every match was important to the team and every match was broadcast on national television.

Leading this massive broadcast effort was Don Mudtangam, Table Tennis Association of Thailand Secretary-General and Sakul Ariyachotima, Table Tennis Association of Thailand Assistant Secretary-General. They provided the television commentary for every match.

The commentators Don Mudtangam (left) and (right) Sakul Ariyachotima (Photo: courtesy of Richard McAfee)

For any team to be successful in the League, it had to have a strong mix of senior, junior and cadet players. Adding to this unique match format was an exciting new game format. All games were won by the first player to score 6 points; the player did not need to be two points clear.

The multiple ball policy was used along with ball boys and ball girls to keep every matches moving quickly.

Each day, a “Player of the Day” was selected to receive a cash award with a matching award given in equipment to a local school of that player’s choice. All these innovations made for very exciting watching for the spectators and allowed two team matches to be played each day using only one table and finishing within the five hour broadcast window.

Notably, the True Visions Table Tennis League has already made a major impact, bringing the sport of table tennis into homes all over Thailand, along with gaining much needed recognition for the national players. Plans are underway to expand the League next year. Piradej Pruttipruk, President of the Table Tennis Association of Thailand, hopes to add more teams, attract more sponsors and increase the prize money.

The year 2018 was a great start for the Thailand True Visions Table Tennis League and an important step to the future for the Table Tennis Association of Thailand.

The finalists in the True Visions Professional League (Photo: courtesy of Richard McAfee)