Former world champ to help tabel tennis team

By JACK AMI
FORMER world table tennis female singles champion Yining Zhang arrived yesterday in Port Moresby for a skills training and coaching programme to prepare Team PNG for next year’s Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa.
Zhang took the national team through their pace at the new Butuka School (primary, secondary and elementary) gymnasium witnessed by the Chinese business community.
Zhang won the world singles titles from 2003 to 2009.
The 37-year-old said she was proud to be in the country and would support, develop and groom players, both males and females, to prepare for the 2019 Pacific Games.
“I will also do my part to help the PNG Table Tennis Federation establish its own academy centre in Port Moresby,” Zhang said.
Zhang was brought in as an advisor for the national team specifically to help the players improve their basic skills, strategies and mental game.
PNGTTF president George Shao was grateful that a player of the calibre of Zhang had accepted the request to help develop and promote the code in Papua New Guinea.
Shao said his federation had set a goal to train and prepare the country’s elite table tennis players so they would be competitive at the Pacific Games. “We’re hoping this training will get the team ready for the Pacific Games and they will fare well in that event,” Shao said.
“Bringing Zhang here is a bonus for PNG table tennis.
Shao said the federation had secured land at Bautama to establish a table tennis training centre and academy.
“We have secured land at Bautama to build our training and academy centre there next year with the funding support from our sponsors and the Chinese community in Port Moresby.
“On behalf of the PNGTTF I extend my thanks to all the loyal sponsors to continuing supporting PNG table tennis.”