Think that table tennis is a sport confined to youth clubs, gymnasiums and drafty scout halls? Then you might be thinking about the table-tennis you played in your youth. It’s time to think again. TT these days is played by rock stars, sports stars and statesmen…
Last week I visited table tennis’s English Open tournament in Sheffield. It’s organised by the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA), the governing body for the sport in England, and offers prize money of $172,000 – a prize fund to match many bigger, more high-profile events.
The event is a big deal in the international calendar, attracting the best players from around the world. As a result, it’s well-attended – not just by locals but by people who travel across the country to see their heroes in action. It also attracts large delegations of fans from the ex-pat communities whose compatriots traditionally do well in these competitions. The Chinese community, for example, were well-represented on finals day – and their journeys weren’t wasted.
British players didn’t trouble the final matches – little surprise when the Chinese national championships attract two million entries – but there is much more to these events than winning them.
For the city of Sheffield, the benefits are clear – thousands of rooms in local hotels are filled by competitors, officials and spectators. The restaurants fill up and taxi businesses thrive. For British players, there is the chance to play to an expectant home crowd – a valuable experience of playing under pressure and an opportunity for their coaches to see how they respond against the world’s best. For ETTA, the benefits are that they can engage sponsors, showcase an exciting sport and attract new participants. It’s hard work for all concerned, particularly the volunteers who often work into the early hours to get the set-up just right, but the benefits are there for everyone.
So it’s probably worth noting, in the year before the London Olympics, that it’s not just the winning of events that is important. It’s not just the taking part either. It’s the organising too. A lot of people in the UK are better off for the holding of the English Open – not just the Chinese winners. That’s why it’s so important to back British bids to host sporting events.
James Stibbs
Head of Communications at the Sport and Recreation Alliance
Image of English Open champion Chen Qi reproduced with permission of tabletennisphotos.com
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