by ITTF Foundation
Reaching new heights, we do not talk only about numbers but also leaving a meaningful message:
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.” Nelson Mandela
Such was part of Nelson Mandela’s speech at the Inaugural Ceremony Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, held in Monaco in 2000. Nelson Mandela was talking from experience as he used and advocated the use of sport as a tool for social change during his presidency in the 1990s. He left a legacy for his country and the rest of the world.
One of the most famous examples of this has been portrayed in the 2009 film “Invictus” or book “Playing the Enemy” which highlights how Nelson Mandela understood he could use the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite his divided nation, encouraging everyone to support the Springboks National team.
For World Table Tennis Day, we do not expect you to be the next Nelson Mandela. However, we wish to encourage you to use his story, as inspiration and take time to consider what values you can transfer through your event.
…………What values do you want the participants to have learned through your event or activity?
…………How will you use our favourite sport as a tool to cause positive impact in people’s lives?
…………Let’s have a look at different ways education and table tennis fit perfectly together.
Table tennis is usually seen as an individual sport but it is a game that cannot be practised alone. It does not matter if you are an amateur or professional player; you always need a partner. Thus socialisation and interaction with others is encouraged.
Moreover when children practise table tennis, they are motivated to learn and improve through fun. This offers a great opportunity not only to learn technical skills but also to transmit values, such as: cooperation, discipline, perseverance, responsibility, fairness, respect and being a team player.
There are many examples of how to include education values in your World Table Tennis Day activity. In order to support you in this process, here are a few examples.
…………Teamwork (trust and communication): Different abilities, making people play blindfold with a guide and rolling the ball on the table (taking out the net) from one side to the next. Playing legs tied two persons together
…………Teamwork (interdependence and communication): group Challenges versus individual challenges
…………Community challenge (self-esteem, identity, motivation): have one side of the table play supporters that encourage and the other either no one or people who chastise the player for two minutes and then discuss how this affected their game, self-esteem and identity.
We hope this will inspire your creativity to encourage you make up your own game based on the values you wish to transmit.
By transmitting values, you are not only contributing to the participants personal relationships with their team, family, work or school, but also to their personal development as they become more rounded people and develop skills which can be positively replicated to their everyday ventures and local community.
Where to start and prepare a values promoting event?
Follow the next steps:
…………Read the World Table Tennis Day Tool Kit
…………Write your vision and define the values you wish to raise through your activity
…………Establish your team
…………Organize a first team meeting
…………Plan your activities around the values you wish to promote
…………Create your “To do List”
…………Create your timeline
…………Make your budget plan
…………List and contact your fund givers
…………List and contact possible partners
More details to prepare your event here
World Table Tennis Day: Registration Form
World Table Tennis Day: Promotional Package
