The United Arab Emirates Table Tennis Federation is preparing to launch the first international virtual championship at the end of this month that will allow all local and Arab players and all those who wish to participate from different countries of the world to join them remotely in simulation competitions with the same internationally approved table tennis laws.
The First International Virtual Table Tennis Tournament
Hassan Al Zarouni, Secretary-General of the Table Tennis Association, confirmed that the Table Tennis tournament is being held for the first time in the region, and it will be announced soon on the official website of the federation and that it is a special investment for the period of stopping the activity and an important opportunity to develop the level of local players in clubs and teams in the transition phase that will lead to the return of activity naturally to Light of the directives of the General Sports Authority.
Al-Zarouni said: With regard to the resumption of competitions, we addressed the clubs to complete the league championship next September in the light of the recommendation of the competitions committee, and we follow the procedures for sterilizing the halls, and the controls of the clubs with the sports councils to return the activity to the clubs in light of providing social distance.
He added that the game federation has conceptions for next season’s competitions also initially, at the same time as it awaits the instructions of the National Olympic Committee and the General Sports Authority regarding the proposed timing of elections to prepare for them, and inviting clubs to adopt the statute of clubs and hold the extraordinary general assembly.
Regarding the requirements for completing the local league, Ahmed Al-Bahri, director of national teams, said that the resumption of the league competition will be with the same approved conditions for the current season, that is, it is not possible to replace any player in the list or register any new Table Tennis player. As for the next season and its competitions, an initial date for its launch has been agreed upon. Next October, to start with the championships of the Sunni stages.
He stated that regarding the national Table Tennis team, we will consider the league competition next September to be a great opportunity to prepare its players to participate in the World Championships in South Korea in October 2020 and that our team will be represented by 5 players, Abdullah Al-Balushi, Salah Al-Din Abdul Hamid, Issa Al-Balushi and Zubair Hashem, and Hazza Muhammad Mahmoud.
The Team’s current activity
He clarified that in cooperation with the technical team for the teams, a preparation program for the Table Tennis players has been put in place, based on flexibility and remote fitness training that is being followed up by the technical staff, at the same time that several technical sessions have been prepared for coaches with players in a combined manner where The coach explains his program accompanied by some movements of international players while reviewing some scenes similar to our local players to inform them about the ideal behaviour in such situations, and these sessions had a great positive impact, especially in the matter of “technical technique” during the matches.
The plans for the national team players
Regarding the plan for the national team players to return to training in the halls with the application of social divergence. He said: Our sport basically does not have direct contact, and the distance between the player and his competing teammate at the table is the same as the required precaution, and each player has his own tools, and gyms have made great efforts in Sterilization is the last period, and we are waiting for the end of the exam period until we announce the return program for the players ’training in the halls and the necessary procedures for that, and the closest we will use Al Ahly Youth Hall, while informing the players of the dates of each of them in training so that large numbers are not allowed to enter simultaneously, taking into account sterilization After each share.
About the details of the virtual Table Tennis tournament
He said: It is a unique UAE initiative that provides simulation opportunities for Table Tennis players as if they are practising their sport exactly on the table by wearing special glasses that enter the player in the virtual world in front of the opponent, with the use of special rackets that move it as if it is on the table exactly from the position of movement, The open tournament will start from the round of 64 and the knockout system will take place, and registration is expected to open next week with allowing all who wish to participate to register on the official website of the tournament which will be an experience that can be repeated in the event of achieving the required success, as it can be adopted within our local competitions as of From next season.
