The International Table Tennis Association highlights Vincy Table Tennis’ three part Olympic Solidarity supported Course in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
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Home of the celebrated film “Pirates of the Caribbean”, St Vincent and the Grenadines, situated in the Caribbean to the west of Barbados, is currently the destination for a buccaneer of a rather different ilk; the Swiss adventurer Georg Silberschmidt.
Organised under the auspices of the ITTF Development Programme, he has recently completed his second visit the region to conduct a three part Olympic Solidarity supported Developing a National Sports Structure Course. The first part was held last year between Sunday 4th October and Monday 2nd November; the second between Saturday 2nd and Sunday 17th January; and the third element will be from Tuesday 16th February and Sunday 13th March.
Lull in Fortune
“Table tennis was quite popular in St Vincent and the Grenadines but in recent years has almost disappeared; there are only some dozens of players left on the islands”, said Georg Silberschmidt. “The National Association wanted to change this situation and succeeded to convince the National Olympic Committee to apply for an Olympic Solidarity funded Development of a National Sports Structure course.”
The application proved successful with Georg Silberschmidt, who conducted an Olympic Solidarity supported ITTF/PTT Level One Course in the country back in 2013, being nominated as the expert to conduct matters.
Main Target
“Principally, the main target has been to get an overview of the situation in the country, visit schools, and have meetings with responsible persons at the Ministry of Education as well as the National Olympic Committee”, added Georg Silberschmidt.
Simply the goal has been to establish a base from which table tennis can develop by revising the constitution, detailing specific tasks for members of the Federation, organising a calendar of events whilst detailing criteria for National Team members.
Establish Base
“To popularise table tennis, it’s obvious you have to start at the bottom, so we organised a visit to almost 20 schools and through those visits, the idea of creating a school project was born”, added Georg Silberschmidt. “For this pilot project, the biggest island of the Grenadines, Bequia, was chosen.”
There was a special reason for the choice.
“Bequia is a small island with about 7,000 people; there are primary, secondary and high schools, including the Sunshine School for children with special needs”, added Georg Silberschmidt. “Also, there is a very nice community centre in Bequia, where there are after school programmes and other activities open to the public at no cost. Last but not least, Rodney Caruth, an ITTF/PTT Level One Coach and police officer working on Bequia, was seen as a great asset to the initiative and was recently appointed as the local project co-ordinator.”
Rodney Caruth is very much the key success factor to the project; he visits schools regularly and organises training sessions at the local community centre.
Equipment Help
“For Developing a National Sports Structure courses, usually, there is no budget for equipment but Olympic Solidarity agreed to allocate some money for this pilot project without affecting other parts”, explained Georg Silberschmidt. “So, before I left at the beginning of November, everything was arranged for the pilot project in Bequia.”
Matters were quickly in place.
Assistance
“The Eastern Caribbean Group of Companies offered to make tables out of four foot by eight foot plywood secured from container ships”, added Georg Silberschmidt. “Table tennis balls were ordered in United States and some hundreds of leisure rackets from the French company Artengo.”
Rapid progress was made and when Georg Silberschmidt arrived in early January, there was an air of excitement.
Excitement
“At the very beginning of the visit, a 12-hour club coach course was organised at the Bequia Community Centre”, explained Georg Silberschmidt; however that was not the reason for the jubilation.
“A total of 19 tables arrived on a ferry from the main island of St Vincent; the distribution of the equipment to the schools became a huge party”, added Georg Silberschmidt. “The children were so happy to get the opportunity to play table tennis; they helped with enthusiasm unload the yellow Jeep, which was borrowed from Andy, the owner of a Maria’s Café, a local restaurant.”
“Soon after, the first sessions were organised by the trained teachers. At Maria’s Café, I met Jessica and Larc of Skylarc Pictures; and the idea of making a movie about all activities was born quickly”, continued Georg Silberschmidt. “The videos should help start a fundraising initiative for more equipment in order to expand the pilot project all over St Vincent and the Grenadines in the coming months and years.”
Air of Caution
Enthusiasm but Georg Silberschmidt airs caution.
“The pilot project in Bequia runs until the end of February; it has to be evaluated carefully”, he stressed. “The targets have been set quite high; 400 children shall play at least one hour of table tennis every week!”
Optimistic
Restraint but there is also quiet optimism.
“I am sure when I return for my third visit in February that our target may have been reached”, enthused Georg Silberschmidt who has been working for ten years as an expert for courses organised by the ITTF Development Programme.
First Sessions
Table tennis tables were quickly in place.
Sustainable Development
“Through a Developing of a National Sports Structure Course you can really bring a positive change to a country and make the development of table tennis sustainable”, concluded Georg Silberschmidt. “My advice to other national associations is to make every effort to host this type of course.”
Make the effort. Push for change. Strive for better.