To: Members of the English Table Tennis Association

As the new Chairman of the ETTA, I am sending you the first newsletter of what will become a channel of communication for news about table tennis in general, and developments within the ETTA in particular. We will keep the content of the newsletter quite short, but will point to where further information on each article can be found on the ETTA’s website.

This issue contains:

• The changes and challenges facing English table tennis
• Renewal of ETTA membership
• Ping!
• New season – Sainsbury’s School Games; Tees Sport Liverpool Grand Prix
• Commonwealth Games Tickets
• Congratulations

The changes and challenges facing English table tennis
It is just over a month since I took up the post of Chairman of the ETTA, together with a new Board and a new CEO, Sara Sutcliffe. A challenging period of change lies ahead for our sport and the way it is administered.

Last year table tennis was one of the six sports out of 46 where Sport England withheld funding. We were only guaranteed a year’s funding and were left in no doubt that changes and improvements had to be made in order for financial support to be available beyond next April.

That process of change has already started. There has been a wide-reaching independent review of table tennis and they way the ETTA operates. This report, known as the Portas Review, produced a number of recommendations. We will have to demonstrate to Sport England that we are putting improvements and changes in place in order to hopefully secure further funding and, subsequently, our future. The areas particularly highlighted are strategy, governance, decision-making and staffing.

The process for change began in earnest at the recent National Council meeting, who voted 44 to nil to accept the Board’s recommendation to pass over the policy making role to the Board. The National Council will remain in an advisory capacity and as a necessary link to the local leagues and county organisations.

We had to begin this process of change immediately to ensure table tennis receives the £8million funding, which will be available, if we achieve the objectives we have been set. We only have a few months to demonstrate to Sport England that table tennis is back on track. Full report here

Renewal of ETTA Membership
You are invited to renew your ETTA Individual Membership in preparation for the 2013/14 season.

Membership Fees for season 2013/14 are:

• £30.00 for Senior Licenced Members (e.g. national competitions)
• £15.00 for Junior/Cadet Licenced Members (e.g. national competitions)
• £8.00 for Seniors (local leagues)
• £4.00 for Juniors/Cadets or younger
• £4.00 for Associate members

You can renew your ETTA Membership online here

or  you can telephone the ETTA on 0845 0500 388 for assistance.

Ping!
There has been a summer of table tennis activity in shopping centres and the High Street with the Ping! initiative. This innovative programme has brought social table tennis to many venues and cities including London, Hull, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Brighton, Sheffield, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Oxford and the New Forest, as tables were placed in a range of public locations.

New season
With the 2013/14 table tennis season just beginning, there are already several major events lined up in the first few weeks.

Sainsbury’s School Games: Table tennis will feature as part of the Sainsbury’s School Games with   many of our young players competing for their regions. The table tennis is at Ponds Forge in Sheffield on September 13-15. Tickets and more information are available here

Tees Sport Liverpool Grand Prix: Welsh no. 1 Ryan Jenkins and French visitor Sarah Berge were the victors in the inaugural Tees Sport Grand Prix of the season at Liverpool. Ryan took the Men’s Singles title ahead of long-term rival, Scotland’s Gavin Rumgay, while French defender Berge caused a shock in the Women’s Singles to twice defeat the defending series Champion, Karina Le Fevre.

Day one report here

Day two report here

To keep up-to-date with tournaments, see the ETTA’s calendar

Commonwealth Games
Tickets for the table tennis sessions at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games are now available. Apply before September 16 here

Congratulations to…
England’s number one cadet and junior girl, Tin-Tin Ho on winning three medals at the recent European Youth Championship and who has now been selected for the Europe Youth Top 10 tournament, which takes place in Italy in September. Full report here

Four-time English National Senior Men’s Champion, Paul Drinkhall, and twice English National Senior Women’s Champion, Joanna Parker, on their recent marriage.

However you are involved with table tennis, whether as a player, coach or volunteer; whether at club, league, county or national level, I would like to wish you all an enjoyable and successful table tennis season.

Andy Seward
Chairman of ETTA
August 2013