The ITTF Mentorship allowed participants to learn directly from experienced and highly profiled experts in their respective fields. Over four months, mentees engaged in:
- Regular Online Sessions: These sessions provided theoretical insights and practical knowledge, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
- Monthly Assignments: Tailored tasks encouraged participants to apply what they had learned in real-world scenarios, refining their skills and understanding.
- Interactive Mentorship: Direct interactions between mentors and mentees facilitated personalized guidance and constructive feedback.
The program targeted three key areas critical to the growth and sustainability of table tennis:
- Coaching: 14 coaches (9 male and 5 female) received mentorship, equipping them with advanced techniques and methodologies to elevate their training sessions.
- Young Umpires: A cohort of 14 young umpires (6 male and 8 female) received guidance to enhance their officiating skills and advance their career.
- Match Officials Evaluators Trainee: Three evaluator trainees (2 male and 1 female) were trained to assess and improve umpiring performance, ensuring consistent quality across events.
The 2024 edition provided group sessions for the mentees, 4 groups were formed for the coaching area, 4 groups for the young umpires’ area, and 1 group for the evaluator trainee area which was introduced in the project for the first time in 2024. Each group organized at least 7 online sessions and submitted a minimum of 4 assignments that complemented the online sessions. At the end of the project, the mentees received feedback from their mentor about their participation and performance in the project and about future steps. The project underscored ITTF’s commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and professional excellence within the sport. By empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds and skill levels and creating networks amongst them, the initiative supported the broader mission of strengthening table tennis globally.
The key outcomes of the program are to strengthen the capabilities among coaches, umpires, and evaluators, ensuring sustained growth in their respective roles, and providing a platform for participants to network, collaborate, and share best practices across regions and disciplines.
Quotes:
“I have learned a lot in this program and realized that we all face the same challenges – developing countries as well as elite countries. You never stop learning.” – Fungai Zinatsu (ZIM): Coach Mentee
“I want to express my deep gratitude and admiration for mentor Zoltan and his invaluable guidance during this ITTF mentoring program. His experience and knowledge have been fundamental pillars in my growth as a coach. It has been an extraordinary experience. It has not only provided me with technical and tactical tools, but also a broader and deeper insight into what it means to be a leader within the sport. I am very grateful to the ITTF for giving me the opportunity to learn and I look forward to continuing to apply and share all that I have learned.” – Edgardo Vázquez Morales (PUR): Coach Mentee
“This program has been really helpful. It has guided me closely in my transition from player to coach. Ryan has been a very good mentor, always available if we had any inquiries or when we asked for advice. Thank you for opportunity. I look forward to further programs to develop my coaching skills.” – Fathimath Jumana Nimal (MDV): Coach Mentee
“Great opportunity to improve my skills and learn from better umpires, very collaborative with learning with the other students and share my knowledge while learning from others.” – Star Richens (NZL) Young Umpire Mentee
“This program is very effective in developing young umpires in the long term and is highly motivating for continuing to improve umpiring skills.” – Margareta Suryani (INA) Young Umpires Mentee
“The program was fruitful and important. Especially the scientific and pedagogical method of the Mentor was wonderful and he was an example to be followed. I am looking forward to the next step.” – Najeh Ghachem (TUN): Evaluators Trainee Mentee
“I found the mentoring sessions very interesting and highly informative, particularly regarding the field of assessments. Analyzing real cases was especially valuable, as it helped bridge the gap between theory and practical application.” – Santiago Mercade (ARG): Evaluators Trainee Mentee
“With the three mentees having different background and experiences, they were able to share their own experience with the other mentees during the online meetings. All in all, the program has been smooth and successful, identifying young and willing evaluators from different continents to help URC with training of advanced umpires.” – Chan Cheong Ki (HKG): Evaluators Mentor
“The group sessions shared many ideas & every participant shared the experience with all the groups, really it’s very useful.” – Hisham Ezzat (EGY): Coach Mentor