by Cyril Sen (Malaysia), Course Conductor
Both courses were arranged and supported by the Indonesian Table Tennis Association (ITTA), the National Paralympic Council of Indonesia (NPC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Indonesia.
The Certified Basic Umpires Course (BUC) was conducted over three days instead of the usual two days; this was done at the request of the NPC who wanted additional time to be given to the study of Para rules, as well as to simulate Field of Play techniques.
There were 24 participants, two of whom were young ladies. They came from many provinces of Indonesia, such as Sumatra, Java and Madura. Although some were old hands at umpiring, it was encouraging to see many young people actively participate in the course, even though some of them were new converts to umpiring.
A number of umpires expressed their gratitude for being able to attend the course which provided them with a great deal of knowledge. Importantly it helped them understand the interpretation of the many laws and regulations.
At the end of the programme, there was the examination. It was very encouraging to note that 18 candidates (75 per cent) passed.
Indonesia has not had any new International Umpires (IU) since 2010; there are only three active IUs at present. The success of this course has prompted the ITTA and NPC to express their desire to conduct a similar programme in the coming months for a new group of local umpires; the intention is to encourage a number of the successful candidates to prepare for the IU examination to be held in 2018.
Whatever the outcome, Indonesia is moving in the right direction to prepare its table tennis match officials for the two major events in 2018.
The Tournament Organisation Course (TOC) was held immediately after the BUC. Except for one member, all other 18 participants were new, not having attended the BUC. Although the majority of them came from Java, there were some who travelled from more distant provinces. It should be noted that Indonesia is a country of 34 provinces comprising of 17,508 islands!
It was encouraging to have seven ladies participate; all took an active part in the group activities and presentations.
Many of the participants will be involved in the organisation of the Games in one way or another, not necessarily only in table tennis. The programme for the TOC also included an additional topic on the special requirements for the organisation of Para table tennis.
Both course were arranged and supported by the ITTF Development Programme, a fact very much appreciated by all.
A special word of thanks to Mr. Rima Ferdianto of the NPC for the hard work to make the courses possible. Finally, a big thank you to the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Republic of Indonesia for the excellent support provided in all areas, including accommodation, hospitality and support staff, all of which made the whole experience most memorable.
