Empowering Girls and Women Through Table Tennis: Spin Club’s Dream Building Fund Journey

ITTF Foundation’s Dream Building Fund has been awarding grants to projects creating social change through table tennis since 2019, providing eligible partners with strategic guidance and capacity building support for activities aimed at achieving sustainable development goals.  Spin Club recently completed their DBF journey with the Rising Stars initiative. After launching in 2022 in Tehran, Iran, the Rising Stars initiative delivered structured educational programming and specialised table tennis training to empower and create opportunities for young girls and women to tackle overwhelming social barriers and take control of their futures.

Entry Point to Overcome Patriarchal Societal Norms

Women and girls in Tehran are not given access to the same opportunities as boys and men. Their rights are not considered equally in decision-making, and sport is especially not prioritised as a necessary function of daily life, as they are designated to adhere to traditional gender obligations, limiting personal or professional development. Patriarchal structural inequalities have been perpetuated over time in Tehran, evolving into a situation where, for the most part, women and girls are not even aware of the unjust society they exist, let alone possess the confidence, knowledge or agency to transform the world around them.

The three-year Rising Stars initiative was implemented to provide women and girls, Afghan immigrants and persons with disabilities a safe and inclusive environment to express themselves freely, practice table tennis and build the confidence to identify and reduce cemented gender gaps, overcome social barriers and become active contributors in their communities.

Inspiring Confidence & Change through Table Tennis

The Rising Stars initiative created space for women and girls to learn about gender equality and human rights through sport, executing activities to develop life skills, improve mental and physical well-being, instill resilience, and encourage women and girls to become confident leaders. High-skilled players were also given tailored training to advance their national and international playing careers.

• Sport for Development (S4D) Activities

Through alternative S4D and Table Tennis for Development (TT4D) activities, Rising Stars created a programme that catered to both the athletic and personal development needs of participants. From Aug 2022 to June 2024, participants engaged in table tennis skill building, in combination with sessions focused on various skills related to teamwork, decision-making, leadership, and gender equality.

• Learning English Through Table Tennis

In August and September 2023, a 10-session online English course was created as an innovative complementary component to the existing programming. 10 girls participated in an engaging and interactive sports-related vocabulary sessions. In combination with online learning, table tennis sessions were also administered in english language twice a week to not only practice the new vocabulary but build confidence in a unique and fun learning environment.

• Table Tennis Sessions for Girls with Disabilities

Rising Stars held two introductory table tennis sessions at a school for girls with disabilities. 21 girls participated in these sessions, which not only introduced the sport itself, but proved to be an empowering experience, demonstrating to the girls that they are not defined by their physical limitations.

• Rising Stars TT4D Workshop

In partnership with ITTF Foundation and GIZ, Rising Stars organised an international Table Tennis for Development (TT4D) workshop for 30 women to introduce the idea of Sport for Development (S4D) and underscore the transformative impact of sport. Trainers from the ITTF Foundation and expert guest speakers shared with participants the tools and knowledge to design and execute their own sports programmes and community-based projects.

World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) Events

Each April over the project lifespan, Rising Stars organised a World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) event to unite a diverse community and highlight the joy and impact of table tennis, expanding in scale each year, while keeping a strong consistent message – table tennis is for everyone, everywhere.

Programmes for Afghan Girls

Since its inception, Rising Stars made a dedicated commitment to engaging Afghan girls and young women in their activities, offering programmes that not only work to improve basic life skills and confidence, but achieve historic milestones, including the first-ever participation of Afghan girls in Tehran’s official table tennis competitions.

Competitions & Training Camps

In addition to educational and well-being programming, Rising Stars fully supported one female player across 10 separate international tournaments, which included covering all expenses necessary for participation.

10 female players were also provided with coaching and strategic guidance at another 10 international competitions, not only giving them a chance to have a unique life experience but providing the capacity to develop professionally as a player on the international stage.

Intentionality & Consistency Underpin Achievements

The unique blend and variety of integrated and inclusive activities designed by the Rising Stars project generated a range of meaningful impacts for young women and girls in the Tehran community.

For instance, Rising Stars began with 15 participants in 2022 and grew to 315 total participants by the end of DBF funding in 2025. Additionally, by the end of 2024, there were 27 participants with disabilities participating in DBF programming compared to 6 at the start of the project in April 2022. Over the entirety of the project lifetime, 50 Afghan girls took part in programming, participating in specific sessions designed to enhance decision-making, leadership and teamwork, as well as the first-ever participation of Afghan girls in Tehran’s official table tennis competitions. Finally, 10 participants with disabilities formally joined Spin Club to continue their table tennis training after attending introductory sessions – reinforcing the sustainable influence of the Rising Stars interventions.

Enabling Potential Changemakers Through Sport Investment

The success of the Rising Stars initiative is a core example of the impact that can result from an investment in women and girls and combating barriers that prevent gender equality. We extend our thanks to the Rising Stars Project Leader, Houri Aghamiri, for allowing us to assist in supporting an already strong community of changemakers and for being an ambassador for table tennis and the overarching power of sport to shift individual self-perceptions and stimulate long-term change. A big thank you also goes to all the project participants who were part of this meaningful journey. We are excited to continue this collaboration with Spin Club even beyond the completion of their DBF cycle.

For more information about the Rising Stars project, please visit the project page.

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