Dubai
Ever since Dubai became a sponsor of the Chinese national table tennis team in January 2013, the game seems to have really caught on in this part of the world. Besides hosting the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in January this year, Dubai will also stage the next ITTF World Team Classic in early 2015. The buzz is clearly evident at Ping Pong Dubai, a free-to-play area at Dubai Sports World, where players of all abilities - from novices to budding amateurs - play.
To make matters more competitive, three events were scheduled for 2014 - the Corporate Challenge which was held on June 20, the Open Championship on June 27 and the upcoming Open Championship on August 15. The area has been expanded to hold 12 tables - an increase of four on 2013 - while seating has also been added to accommodate spectators
The idea is to stimulate the game’s growth through accessible community events and activities, encourage greater levels of participation – at both a social and organised level - across all sections of society and develop the grassroots game by inspiring more youngsters to take part and aspire to play at a higher level.
Majd Albaloushi, the UAE’s No. 1 female player, told XPRESS: “Ping Pong Dubai is a community initiative which aims to encourage people from all walks of life to pick up a bat and discover that table tennis is a fun and social way to be more active.
“We have 12 free-to-use tables at Dubai Sports World and they have been packed all summer. From kids to novice players and budding amateurs, the area has been buzzing with thousands of players from the UAE, GCC, India and the Philippines, along with many other countries, getting involved.”
Majd added that she was looking forward to the Open Tournament this weekend. “We have already staged two events this summer – an Open Tournament and a Corporate Challenge – which were hugely successful and we are looking forward to welcoming the UAE table tennis community again this weekend for another Open Tournament.
“We have seating for spectators, which has helped create a great atmosphere with friends and family able to get a great view of the action and cheer the players on.”
