The 2024 ITTF Oceania Hopes Week & Challenge, held from 9-13 September, took place in Melbourne at the LOOPS Table Tennis Club, hosted by respected Coach Massimo Costantini, and was very well received by all players and coaches.
The participation of 12 female and 10 male athletes along with 8 male coaches and 7 female coaches from the 3 Member Associations—Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti—made the activity truly gender-balanced. The talent identification program goes beyond basic training, aiming to transform raw potential into developed skill. The training camp was scheduled into 2 sessions each day, in the morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and in the afternoon from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. The players and coaches showed a lot of engagement during these 4 days of training.
“Conducting a Continental Hopes activity is always something special. The one I did in Oceania confirmed the statement above. Interesting players, great coaches, interactions, excellent organization, and at last good quality of play. A very instructive experience as Hopes activity usually is,” said Coach Massimo.
The Challenge winners were Alice Qinle Xia from Australia, and Eli Ho from New Zealand, who will meet up with their fellow Hopes from around the world for a week of training and competition in Asuncion.
In addition, two female coaches—beneficiaries of the ITTF “My Gender. My Strength.” project—attended ITTF Oceania Hopes Week & Challenge: Harvi Yee from Fiji and Hyojoo Lee from New Zealand.
“It was a great experience to attend the ITTF Oceania Hopes Week & Challenge and see the young talented and rising stars athletes full of talents. I’m so happy to seeing that there were more girl’s then boys participated. I also benefited from having the chance and opportunity to learn from one of the top high level coach and also learned from those wonderful expert coaches. The training camp had improved my coaching skills.” said Harvi, coach and MGMS beneficiary from Fiji.
Immediately afterward, from 14-19 September at the Paralympic Federation Hall in Amman, Jordan, the 2024 ITTF Asia Hopes Week & Challenge was held, bringing together 31 young players from 12 countries in a showcase of table tennis talent and potential. This prestigious event served as a crucial stepping stone in developing young athletes from across the region, with 16 boys and 15 girls participating under the watchful eyes of ITTF Expert Hisham Ismail from Egypt.
The event spanned six days, with the first five devoted to intensive training sessions, scheduled twice daily from 8:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The final day was reserved for the highly anticipated Challenge, where players demonstrated the skills and techniques honed during the week.
Twelve member Associations were represented at the event, including Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka, reflecting the diversity and depth of talent within the region. The event was also complemented by physical training sessions and a dedicated coach education program, emphasizing holistic athlete development.
“The standard of play for the players in the camp was strong, with very good coaches representing 12 countries, pushing all of their efforts for their players. Thanks to all the coaches and players for their participation, commitment, and for giving all of their efforts during the camp and the challenge,” said Hisham Ismail, the Head Coach of the activity.
The Paralympic Federation Hall provided a large venue for training and practice, equipped with 16 ITTF-approved tables. A separate hall was dedicated to physical training, ensuring athletes could work on both their technical and physical conditioning. The venue also housed a meeting room used for coach education sessions, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the week’s activities.
This combination of quality facilities, a talented group of athletes and coaches, and expert coaching created a productive environment where young talent flourished. Many players showed significant promise, and as Coach Ismail noted, the camp offered a glimpse into the future of Asian table tennis.
In addition to the appointed Head Coach, two Asian female coaches, Nabita Shreshta from Nepal and Fatemeh Mohaghegh from Iran – both beneficiaries of the ITTF “My Gender. My Strength.” project – attended the activity with the aim of upskilling and advancing their knowledge and skills by taking an active part in the activity and assisting the Head Coach where and when applicable.
With the stage set, we are looking forward to a full week of hard training, friendly exchanges, and an exciting Challenge tournament at the 2024 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge in Asuncion!
