THE Guyana Table Tennis Association, in collaboration with the International Table Tennis Federation, will be hosting two international programmes this month.

The first is the ITTF level one Table Tennis Coach’s certification training programme scheduled for May 16 to 20 and a ITTF High performance training camp for cadet and Junior players from May 20 to 25 May 2023.

Both camps will be held at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, and will be facilitated by Oscar Roitman from Argentina. Roitman has a wealth of experience and knowledge. He has conducted several clinics and functioned in the capacity of National Coach Director of Youth Olympic Games 2018 TT Programme, headed Argentina Junior TT programme, National Development Director, Argentina, ITTF Course instructor.

Author of the book Breaking Method, Roitman gives a new approach to teaching table tennis using tools and a very didactical and clear narrative.

The foundation of all these tools are the author’s own experiences as a table tennis player and as a coach. He has given many lectures in Argentina, always showing a ludic way of teaching, not only centred on “recipes”, but giving “keys” to develop the student ́s/athlete ́s own way of playing or teaching and all its variants.

The programme sessions will commence on the 16th May 2023, at 9:00 am and run to 4:00pm daily on the days outlined and comes as part of the ITTF member association support.

ITTF coach’s certification is an international and globally recognized certification programme aimed at arming coach’s with the correct fundamentals, techniques, methodologies, philosophy and skills for orienting student athletes to the game of table tennis at the beginners intermediate and advance levels.

The course is a thirty-hour programme with an optional Para component of an additional six (6) hours. The para component exposes participating coaches to the methods of working with “differently-abled athletes.” (Coaches who complete the additional 6 hours will be ITTF + PTT Level 1 Coaches).

The ITTF Level 1 Coaching Manual contains the syllabus, course material and covers and forms the basis for key aspects of certification based on completion of the listed modules.

Those are Club Coach Course (12 hour), ITTF Level 1 Course (24 hour), Community Leader Course (Three hour) and School Teacher Course (Six hour).

All courses are cumulative leading to full certification.

After the course, 30 hours of coaching practice must be completed. This coaching practice should be predominantly group coaching, benefitting the table tennis school’s community or junior or school groups.

From the 30 hours coaching practice, 5 hours must be supervised by the ITTF Course Conductor or a person appointed by the ITTF Course Conductor.

“Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and with ITTF restarting it’s in person training programmes, we sought to capitalize on building a new nucleus of coaches to service the schools and community and developmental needs of the association with a view of also advancing these coaches into the national framework over time.

“The GTTA views coaching as a critical and pivotal pillar upon which the sport must be built in order to improve the technical and tactical capacity of our players and, by extension, the structural foundations of the game development. There needs to be higher levels of accredited coaches,”