This Is Guernsey

By Aaron Scoones

Youngsters participating in last month’s Eurokids table tennis training camp.

THE Guernsey Table Tennis Association have received a glowing report from the European Table Tennis Union.

It comes after the GTTA held the Eurokids training camp last month. It was first time that the island has hosted the camp, which saw some of the best junior players in Europe come under the tuition of Jarek Kolodziejczyk.

The top Polish coach, who is involved with the Austrian national team, said in his report that it was one of the best camps he has been to. ‘I was curious to know as to how many of the participants would have expected before the camp that what we were about to experience was to be the best one ever concerning both conditions and hospitality,’ he said in the report.

‘From the first day on we were surrounded by the true enthusiasm of all the people involved in the organisation of the camp from the side of Guernsey Table Tennis Association.’

A total of 28 of the top under-13 boys and girls from 13 different countries around the continent, including Portugal, Serbia, Romania and Israel, were at the week-long camp.

The schedule had the players get up at 7.15 every morning to go for a 10-minute run and a stretch before breakfast.

From 9.30 to noon they had their first training session of the day.

They then had another two, finishing at 9.30 at night.

The routine was broken for one day when they had a tournament.

The ETTU youth and development manager, Zita Pidl, also attended the camp.

The Hungarian was particularly impressed with the GTTA and its Hougue du Pommier centre.

‘I believe all those who have visited Guernsey nowadays have no doubts about the competence of its TTA,’ she said in the report.

‘Honestly, many of the ETTU members, even the ones much bigger, would be happy to have a fully equipped hall with 16 to 20 tables dedicated 24 hours a day for table tennis only.’

Both Pidl and Kolodziejczyk gave special praise to the island’s development coach, Becks O’Keefe, who helped organise the week.

‘Special thanks goes to Rebecca O’Keefe for her endless patience, energy and dedication,’ said Kolodziejczyk.

‘She did just great as host coach and I hope the GTTA realises what treasure they have in their own team.’

The GTTA president Derek Webb was delighted with the report.

He had stated after the camp had ended that he would like the island to be able to host it again in the future.

The GTTA also organised the inaugural Guernsey Mini-Champs Challenge that saw the European players from the camp battle it out.

That something that Webb wants to repeat as well.

‘The report reads well and obviously we’re thrilled to bits about it,’ he said.

‘It’s not just about me. The whole association puts in a lot of work and they are all volunteers.

‘We’d like to do it every year but we won’t because there are other people who want to run it. Jarek said it was the best one ever and he’s a very well respected coach throughout the world of table tennis.

‘It keeps me going. It makes it all worthwhile.’