Net gain for Table Tennis Scotland

Friday 23 June 2006

sportscotland today announced annual funding to the sport of table tennis in Scotland.

The £58,000 sportscotland investment to Table Tennis Scotland (TTS), of which £48,000 is from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, will go towards coaching, player improvement, organisational and club development and the racquet sport’s medal success strategy.

Founded in 1935, the governing body’s mission is to foster and promote organised table tennis in Scotland to attract more players, achieve higher standards and improve the profile of the sport. It receives technical and financial support through sportscotland and, within the past year, appointed a new chairman to work towards these goals.

Table Tennis Scotland aims to revise their current four-year strategic plan to create a more professional, commercially sound and marketing-led strategy for expansion of the sport at grassroots level. This includes involvement with schools and colleges, junior leagues and clubs, thus developing players to move on to elite squads at the regional and national level.

The governing body draws its membership from local table tennis leagues across Scotland, offering its members organised competitive table tennis, access to training and the opportunity to attain coach and umpire qualification.

Increased support for local coaches will be co-ordinated through the activities of the Director of Coaching to help establish tutors and assist in delivery of the UK Coaching Certificate, while player improvement funding of £20,000 will go towards the review of the elite squad structure and the goal of six international events attended by both the men’s and women’s squads.

The governing body has a longer-term goal of bringing a major table tennis competition to Scotland and is hopeful that should Glasgow win the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid, that table tennis will be a selected sport.

Jonathan Whitaker, newly appointed Chairman of Table Tennis Scotland, said: “This is an exciting time for Table Tennis in Scotland. We have a relatively new and vigorous Board directing the sport in new directions and our growth potential is very high. We are very pleased to be supported by and working closely with sportscotland, to help maximise our growth.” Julia Bracewell, Chair, sportscotland, said: “sportscotland is pleased to award £58,000 to Table Tennis Scotland. I hope the funding will allow the governing body to expand its membership levels and encourage people of all ages to participate in this fun and challenging sport.”