New TT4ALL-project to build handcrafted table tennis tables

Through the Table Building project we chose to address, head on, one of the major issues: access to material. By offering a sustainable solution for equipment, we ensure our partners in the field to have dignity, are autonomous and feel ownership of the project and equipment that they build. What better way to start a project?

During their missions the French non-profit-organisation Ping Sans Frontières (PSF) realised that this difficulty may be linked to the lack of sporting shops, the long and expensive process to import tables from abroad involving customs, transportation to the end destination or even the high cost of the tables compared to the resources available for the local clubs.

Therefore, in October 2019 we decided to financially support the ‘Table Building Course’ project, which is run by PSF as part of our TT4ALL programme. With the aim of developing table tennis as an educational tool both in developing countries and on the French territory, PSF is a perfect and determined partner to implement this project bringing self-sustainability to field projects, national associations, clubs, and others by giving them the chance to produce their own tables and to generate their own income. Above this, a local production would allow an almost neutral ecological print, while worldwide shipping of tables has an ecological impact.

The goal of the project is to create a pedagogical content that would allow us to provide theoretical knowledge and a practical workshop in building handcrafted tables that would be given over a 5 to 7 days period.

With the production of a first manual on how to build 5 different models of handcrafted table tennis tables, the first preparations started a long time ago – as we were still working as the ITTF Development. Now, we are working on the second stage where it will take the format of an educational course.

In January 2020, the first handcrafted table training mission was successfully performed in Takoradi, GHANA, organised by PSF. After buying the materials and getting to know the participants, the trestle tables were built in 4 days and the quality validated afterwards. During these days, the content of the course like duration, teaching skills, number of participants required and balance between theory and practice have been tested.