CADETS DRAWING ON THE SPIRITS OF PAST SWEDISH GREATS

Publicado en: Octubre 25, 2008

Cadets from all parts of the globe have now gathered at "Idrottens Hus" Helsingborg for the ITTF Cadet Challenge Training Camp, 24th-27th October 2008.

Global Junior Programme Manager, Mikael Andersson,in his opening speech, asked players to draw on the spirit of famous Swedish players like Waldner, Persson, Johansson, and Bengtsson who have competed in this venue in the more than 10 Swedish Championships.

With a touch of humour and a subtle dig at this young, computer-savvy generation, he added that any of them who didn't know these players could google them after training.

Six years after
Head Coach at the training camp, Dejan Papic, reminisced that only six years ago at the first ITTF Cadet Challenge in Malaysia, were players such as Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Jun Mizutani and Ma Long; sitting there with the same looks of anticipation and dreams of things to come, that these young players have. Now they are regularly on the main pages on the ITTF Website.

The future
Glenn Tepper: "Who will be the next?" Europe Team Manager, Zita Pidl thinks she has the answer: "Simon Gauzy from France is something special". But if you read "Future Spin", the "hip" new look, ITTF Cadet Challenge and ITTF Junior Circuit Finals magazine on the ITTF website you already knew that.

Glenn Tepper: "Who else Zita?"
Zita Pidl: "I am pleased to say we have a great talent from Hungary, Dora Madarasz, who not only has a very nice feeling for the ball, but also is very smart, and will already be adapting something taught to her on the previous day, into the next day's competition".

"You can't go past Marcelo Aguirre of Paraguay, fresh from his first Olympics and having already taken two matches last year against eventual winners Europe" preferred Latin American Manager, Carlos Esnard, who thinks a first Latin American individual medal is a real possibility. "For the future, we have Eric Jouti of Brazil" who is the smallest player on duty but big on talent, and work ethic. "Angela Mori is also one to watch from the fast emerging talents of Peru" continued Carlos Esnard.

Add to the list the talented North American, duo of Lily Zhang and Ariel Hsing; Team Africa fighter, Mohamed Shouman, showing a new streamlined athletic look, and a long line of Asian hopes, we are in for a great week.

Session One - 2008 ITTF Cadet Challenge Training Camp completed, Mikael Andersson and Dejan Papic are smiling and "With the Future in Mind" seems a very appropriate motto...