Dubai: The UAE’s top female table tennis player has joined two of the leading exponents of the sport from China in lauding the launch of the next stage of the Ping Pong Dubai community programme.
“This is the best thing that could have happened to table tennis here. It is experiences such as Ping Pong Dubai that will push this sport forward, especially among Emiratis,” UAE national champion Majd Al Beloushi told Gulf News here on Wednesday.
Majd joined several world and Olympic champions from China at the launch of the next stage of the community programme at Al Safa Park in Dubai. As part of the initiative, table tennis tables have been installed in open spaces in Al Safa Park for Dubai residents.
The tables are free for use with the aim of encouraging people to discover a fun and social way of being active.
The Ping Pong Dubai initiative was launched last summer by the Dubai-sponsored China national table tennis team, and the players made use of their presence for this week’s ITTF World Tour Grand Final to take the initiative to the next level.
Ping Pong Dubai is a non-profit venture between the UAE Table Tennis Association, Dubai Sports Council, and Falcon and Associates, which facilitated the Chinese National Table Tennis Team sponsorship.
The first stage of the programme will see table tennis tables provided at Al Mamzar, Al Barsha, Al Wasl and Mushrif Parks, while more parks will welcome similar facilities in the coming months.
Chinese national team members Shiwen Liu, Ning Ding, Wang Ho, Xiao Xia Li, Long Ma and Jike Zhang joined Majd in participating in a coaching masterclass along with two of UAE’s national team players and youngsters from schools.
“This is such a unique experience for me. I have been associated with such initiatives, but most of these have been indoors. I have enjoyed every moment here,” world and Olympic champion Jike Zhang told Gulf News.
“Table tennis is immensely popular in China and people come together in parks across the country to play every day, and it is wonderful to see a similar thing happening in Dubai,” the 24-year-old added.
Majd believes her presence for the third time at the ITTF World Tour Grand Final is bound to have a big impact. “As the first woman player from the UAE, I realise the huge responsibility that lies on my shoulders. I think it’s a bit scary, but at the same time I see the challenge in flying the UAE flag on the international stage,” she said.
Olympic silver medallist Ding Ning was also thrilled to be part of the scheme. “It’s very likely that some of these kids can get the right sort of exposure and encouragement to challenge the Chinese players in the next few years,” she said.
“Passion and love for a sport are among the key factors that can make champions, and I can see some good energy among these kids here. It would be a great achievement to have players from other parts of the world challenge the Chinese,” she added.
