It was an absolutely different celebration, but as magnificent as in previous years: On 6 April 2020 people from 171 countries and regions were physically distanced, but socially united, to celebrate the World Table Tennis Day 2020!
More than four years ago, 11-year-old Yousef was forced to flee Syria with his family. Their journey brought them to Alkmaar in the Netherlands. In the short time he has been here, Yousef has grown into as a positive role model for integration in the community. He plays and coaches table tennis at Ping Pong Alkmaar, speaks Dutch fluently and is always keen to lend a helping hand.
In light of Covid-19 and respective international travel restrictions, the 2020 edition of the ITTF Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships had to be postponed until Spring 2021. But to spread some good news: pre-registrations are already open!
More heroes were spotted in these difficult times: Sweden's STIGA Sports have stepped up showcasing their heroic status by bringing aid to those in need.
The Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) started in 2019 behind the scenes as a pilot project, the Iran Table Tennis Federation is the first National Association to be supported and now it can be announced. Nevertheless, the outbreak of Covid-19 made us reallocate this funding during 2020 to different affected local communities but we expect to have the ERF open for applications again in 2021.
In these difficult times it is a relief to know that heroes are all around us. The Singapore Table Tennis Association's latest actions prove they house a special bunch of heroes too.
Since our latest update in May, our local project leaders have been busy. We wish to use this space to share more about their initiatives with you. We encourage you to take a deeper look at the contributions the project leaders are offering their communities.
World Refugee Day is an opportunity to shine a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, commemorate the challenges they face and encourage ways for refugees can thrive.
Table tennis has proven its positive influence on slowing down the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and reducing a relapse of cancer. But what does this look like from the perspective of one of the beneficiaries of the Table Tennis Alzheimer’s project, supported by the Dream Building Fund?
