TT4Change Project Visit: Changing Lives for People with Dementia through Table Tennis in Bulgaria

Last week, the ITTF Foundation Social Impact team, represented by Social Impact Coordinator Sara Moamen, travelled to Bulgaria to visit "Table Tennis against Alzheimer's: The Art of Inclusion," a TT4Change project led by the Foundation Compassion Alzheimer Bulgaria (FCAB). This is the second time the Foundation team has visited the project, which has been running for two years and is nearing the end of its TT4Change cycle. Over three days in Sofia, Kazanlak, and Varna, Sara met the coaches, caregivers, and players who have been proving that a table tennis ball can make a big difference.

Sofia: Where the visit began

The visit began at a warm and welcoming café that regularly hosts FCAB's conferences, workshops, and social activities. It's also a place where older adults come together to connect and spend their time in meaningful ways.

From there, Sara headed to the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski," home of a table tennis academy led by Coach Martin Romanov. With more than ten years of experience combining sports science, rehabilitation, and cognitive training, Coach Martin has designed a program that uses table tennis as a tool for both physical and mental stimulation.

Many participants initially doubted they could manage the exercises at all. Through patience, repetition, and consistent practice, they not only succeeded but also built friendships. "The program became a place that brought them together like a family," Sara observed.

When asked what message he would share with families of people living with dementia, Coach Martin's answer was simple: "Start playing." In his view, table tennis can be "better than medicine" when it comes to engagement and overall wellbeing.

At the FCAB office, Sara met Board Member Genoveva Tisheva, project leader Tania Tisheva, and two dedicated caregivers. "Table tennis gives participants the feeling that success is achievable," Genoveva explained. The caregivers echoed her: the sport makes everyone feel included, supports mental health, and gets participants actively seeking out their partners and friends at every session.

Sara also delivered a self-sustainability session for the FCAB team. The session focused on exploring strategies to ensure the long-term continuation and growth of the project beyond the funding period. We discussed opportunities for sustainability, community engagement, partnership development, resource mobilization, and ways to build on the project's achievements to maintain its impact for people living with dementia, caregivers, and older adults in Bulgaria.

Day one of the visit ended at a table donated by the ITTF Foundation near the "Nativity of Christ" church — freely accessible and now a hub for intergenerational play in the heart of the community.

Kazanlak: Protection, Love, and Home

In Kazanlak, Sara visited the nursing home where two stars of the World Parkinson's Table Tennis Championships reside: Stoil Totev and Veselin Nedeltchev.

Far from a traditional care institution, the center feels like a family home. Its director, Lalka Ivanova, summed up its philosophy in three words: Protection, Love, and Home. She spoke passionately about challenging the stereotypes surrounding dementia and about the remarkable responses she sees when residents engage in activities connected to their habits and interests. One resident who is unable to speak lights up whenever she sees a table tennis ball, instinctively following it with her eyes.

Sara also met Niya Veleva and Vladimir Trifonov, two young filmmakers documenting Stoil and Veselin's stories and supporting the fundraising campaign to bring them to the upcoming World Parkinson's Table Tennis Championship in China. They shared a telling anecdote: when Veselin learned about the upcoming championship in China, he immediately went to check his bank account — a clear sign of his eagerness to take part.

Sitting down with Stoil himself, Sara heard him recall his championships in Sweden and France with striking vividness — the quarterfinal run, the 7th-place finish, the friendships made along the way. While people living with dementia may struggle to recall recent events, meaningful experiences endure.

Varna: Table tennis, every single day

The final day took Sara to the coast, to the day-care center in Varna. Here, alongside art and music, residents play table tennis every day: individual sessions in the morning and a group session every afternoon, attended by all 20 participants.

The results speak for themselves. Residents who had never held a racket before and feared they wouldn't be able to hit the ball now grip their rackets correctly, bounce the ball, and rally across the table. Social worker Anna Deleva described how playing calms the participants, improves their coordination and confidence, and even surprises their families: relatives who brought loved ones expecting only basic care now watch them become active players.

Physiotherapist Vania Jekova shared one of her favourite observations: every second day, some participants manage to play a full game. And her guiding principle is clear: the more dementia develops, the more people need to move.

The center is also reaching beyond its walls with the ART Café, a community gathering that invites families to see the impact of the program, with plans for a fun table tennis day where people with dementia and their families can play together.

One of the participants loves playing so much that, as the social workers say with a smile, she sometimes forgets she wants to go home.

As the journey continues

With the agreed target of 235 participants already reached and all planned workshops and conferences delivered, "Table Tennis against Alzheimer's: The Art of Inclusion" is approaching the end of its project cycle on a strong and heartfelt note. The project team is now finalising a Guidebook for Table Tennis for People with Cognitive Problems, ensuring the knowledge gained in Bulgaria can inspire communities far beyond it.

From Sofia's community table to Varna's daily rallies, one message rang out across all three cities — the same one Coach Martin shares with every family: "Start playing."

Learn more about our TT4Change projects and how the ITTF Foundation uses table tennis to create social impact (click here).